Colin Low
Directing
Colin Archibald Low CM RCA (July 24, 1926 – February 24, 2016) was a Canadian animation and documentary filmmaker with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He was known as a pioneer, one of Canada's most important filmmakers, and was regularly referred to as "the gentleman genius". His numerous honors include five BAFTA awards, eight Cannes Film Festival awards, and six Academy Award nominations. Low was born and raised in Cardston, Alberta, to Gerald and Marion Low, ranchers who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The town borders the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe), which later became the subject of two of his films; his 1960 film Circle of the Sun marked the first time the Kainai Nation's sacred Sun Dance was filmed. Low studied graphic design and animation at the Banff School of Fine Arts and then the Calgary Institute of Technology. In 1946, while he was at the latter, the National Film Board of Canada was hiring and put out a call for student submissions; one of Low's teachers suggested that he send in his portfolio and, a week later, he was hired by the prominent NFB filmmaker Norman McLaren. McLaren placed Low under the tutelage of George Dunning, who would act as his mentor for five years. To hone his animation skills, he was also put to work with NFB animator Evelyn Lambart. Low was recognized as a filmmaker in 1949. In 1950, he was appointed Head of the Animation Unit. From 1972 to 1976, he was an executive producer for the NFB's Studio C; in 1976, he became Director of Regional Production. He would stay with the NFB for the rest of his life, making 203 films and acting as a researcher and advisor on many others. He officially retired in 1997, but continued to write about animation and large-format film, and to work on film projects.
Known for
Directing51
movieMomentum
1992
Director
Emergency
1988
Director
movieTransitions
1986
Director
movieStanding Alone
1982
Director
movieA Pinto for the Prince
1979
Director
movieWhen I Go - That's It!
1972
Director
movieThe Winds of Fogo
1970
Director
movieIn the Labyrinth
1967
Director
movieA Wedding and Party
1967
Director
movieA Woman's Place
1967
Director
movieThe Mercer Family
1967
Director
movieBilly Crane Moves Away
1967
Director
movieJim Decker's Party
1967
Director
movieThe Hutterites
1964
Director
movieCircle of the Sun
1961
Director
movieThe Days of Whisky Gap
1961
Director
movieUniverse
1960
Director
movieCity Out of Time
1959
Director
movieCity of Gold
1957
Director
Gold
1955
Director
movieThe Jolifou Inn
1955
Director
movieRiches of the Earth
1954
Director
movieCorral
1954
Director
Production39
River (Planet Earth)
1977
Executive Producer
movieThe Mad Canadian
1976
Executive Producer
Christ Is Risen
1976
Executive Producer
The Sword of the Lord
1976
Executive Producer
movieNo Way They Want to Slow Down
1976
Executive Producer
movieBlackwood
1976
Executive Producer
movieLos Canadienses
1976
Producer
movieWaiting for Fidel
1975
Executive Producer
movieEarthware
1975
Producer
Descent
1975
Producer
Alberta Girls
1975
Executive Producer
Musicanada
1975
Executive Producer
movieLumsden
1975
Executive Producer
movieKing of the Hill
1974
Executive Producer
movieAnother Side of the Forest
1974
Executive Producer
movieIn Search of the Bowhead Whale
1974
Executive Producer
movieIn Praise of Hands
1974
Producer
Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut
1974
Executive Producer
movieFreshwater World
1974
Executive Producer
movieThe New Alchemists
1974
Producer
Coming Home
1973
Producer
movieKainai
1973
Producer
Cell 16
1972
Producer
movieFree Fall
1964
Producer
movie21-87
1963
Producer
movieThe Ride
1963
Producer
movieMy Financial Career
1962
Producer
moviePot-pourri
1962
Producer
movieVery Nice, Very Nice
1961
Producer
movieAppetizers
1960
Producer
movieOne Little Indian
1954
Producer
Log House
Executive Producer
I Am an Old Tree
Executive Producer
Writing4
movieUniverse
1960
Writer
movieCorral
1954
Writer
Visual Effects3
movieThe Living Machine
1962
Animation
movieCadet Rousselle
1947
Animation
Editing2
Art1
movieUniverse
1960
Production Design
Camera1
movieCity of Gold
1957
Director of Photography
Crew1
movieThe Living Stone
1958
Cinematography