About

Known credits:
98
Birthday:
1926-07-24
Place of birth:
Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Website:
N/A

Colin Low

Overview

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

Directing
2000 Moving Pictures Directing Director N/A
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1992 Momentum Directing Director 58
Average
1986 Transitions Directing Director N/A
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1983 The Contour Connection Directing Director N/A
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1982 Standing Alone Directing Director N/A
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1979 A Pinto for the Prince Directing Director N/A
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1972 When I Go - That's It! Directing Director N/A
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1970 The Winds of Fogo Directing Director 58
Average
1968 Introduction to Fogo Island Directing Director N/A
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1967 Andrew Britt at Shoal Bay Directing Director N/A
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1967 In the Labyrinth Directing Director 58
Average
1967 The Children of Fogo Island Directing Director 59
Average
1967 Jim Decker Builds a Longliner Directing Director N/A
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1967 Billy Crane Moves Away Directing Director N/A
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1967 The Fogo Island Improvement Committee Directing Director N/A
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1967 The Mercer Family Directing Director N/A
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1967 A Woman's Place Directing Director N/A
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1967 Jim Decker's Party Directing Director N/A
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1967 A Wedding and Party Directing Director N/A
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1967 The Merchant and the Teacher Directing Director N/A
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1967 The Founding of the Co-operatives Directing Director N/A
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1967 McGraths at Home and Fishing Directing Director N/A
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1967 William Wells Talks About The Island Directing Director N/A
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1964 The Hutterites Directing Director N/A
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1963 Seven Surprizes Directing Director N/A
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1961 Circle of the Sun Directing Director 58
Average
1961 The Days of Whisky Gap Directing Director N/A
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1960 Universe Directing Director 59
Average
1959 City Out of Time Directing Director 58
Average
1957 City of Gold Directing Director 58
Average
1955 Gold Directing Director N/A
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1955 The Jolifou Inn Directing Director N/A
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1954 Riches of the Earth Directing Director N/A
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1954 Corral Directing Director 58
Average
1952 Age of the Beaver Directing Director N/A
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1952 The Romance of Transportation in Canada Directing Director 59
Average
1950 Teamwork - Past and Present Directing Director N/A
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1948 Time and Terrain Directing Director N/A
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Some Problems of Fogo Directing Director N/A
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Tom Best on Co-operatives Directing Director N/A
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The Story of the Up Top Directing Director N/A
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Fishermen's Meeting Directing Director N/A
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Joe Kinsella on Education Directing Director N/A
N/A
The Songs of Chris Cobb Directing Director N/A
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Fogo's Expatriates Directing Director N/A
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Emergency/Urgence Directing Director N/A
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Brian Earle on Merchants and Welfare Directing Director N/A
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Citizen Discussions Directing Director N/A
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Thoughts on Fogo and Norway Directing Director N/A
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Discussion on Welfare Directing Director N/A
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Dan Roberts on Fishing Directing Director N/A
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Writing
1961 Circle of the Sun Writing Writer 58
Average
1960 Universe Writing Writer 59
Average
1954 Corral Writing Writer 58
Average
Emergency/Urgence Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
1976 The Mad Canadian Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1976 Los Canadienses Production Producer 59
Average
1976 Blackwood Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1976 The Sword of the Lord Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1976 Christ Is Risen Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1976 No Way They Want to Slow Down Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1975 Waiting for Fidel Production Producer 58
Average
1975 Musicanada Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1975 Earthware Production Producer N/A
N/A
1975 Alberta Girls Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1975 Lumsden Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1975 Descent Production Producer N/A
N/A
1974 King of the Hill Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1974 In Search of the Bowhead Whale Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1974 The Boat That Ian Built Production Producer N/A
N/A
1974 In Praise of Hands Production Producer N/A
N/A
1974 Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1974 The New Alchemists Production Producer N/A
N/A
1974 Freshwater World Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1974 Cree Hunters of Mistassini Production Producer 59
Average
1973 Coming Home Production Producer N/A
N/A
1973 Kainai Production Producer N/A
N/A
1972 A Memo from Fogo Production Producer N/A
N/A
1972 Cell 16 Production Producer N/A
N/A
1971 I Don't Think It's Meant for Us... Production Producer N/A
N/A
1964 Free Fall Production Producer 58
Average
1963 21-87 Production Producer 59
Average
1962 My Financial Career Production Producer 59
Average
1962 Pot-pourri Production Producer N/A
N/A
1961 Very Nice, Very Nice Production Producer 58
Average
1960 Appetizers Production Producer N/A
N/A
1959 A is for Architecture Production Producer N/A
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1954 One Little Indian Production Producer N/A
N/A
I Am an Old Tree Production Executive Producer N/A
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Log House Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A

Art
1960 Universe Art Production Design 59
Average

Camera
1957 City of Gold Camera Director of Photography 58
Average

Crew
1958 The Living Stone Crew Cinematography 58
Average

Editing
1955 The Jolifou Inn Editing Editor N/A
N/A
1948 Time and Terrain Editing Editor N/A
N/A

Visual Effects
1962 The Living Machine Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1948 Time and Terrain Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1947 Cadet Rousselle Visual Effects Animation 58
Average