Blake (film)
Encyclopedia
Blake is a 1969 short documentary by Bill Mason
about his friend and fellow filmmaker Blake James, who pilots his own plane. The film was produced by the National Film Board of Canada
(NFB). Awards for the film included two Golden Sheaf Awards and an Etrog Award (now known as a Genie Award
) for Best Film under 30 minutes. Blake was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
.
Filming Blake was often dangerous. On one occasion, Mason lost sight of James while filming from another airplane. It was discovered that James had been forced to land on an island in the St. Lawrence River after forgetting to switch on his main fuel tank.
The film was shown theatrically in Canada and acquired by an American distributor. Theatrical showings in the U.S. led to an Oscar nomination in the live-action short category.
Mason and James first met at a commercial art studio in Winnipeg
. They later worked together at Crawley Films before both going to the NFB. James' film credits include an animated vignette on Canadian aviation pioneer Wilfrid R. "Wop" May. He also starred in Mason's acclaimed short film The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes
.
Bill Mason
Bill Mason was an award-winning Canadian naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist, noted primarily for his popular canoeing books, films, and art as well as his documentaries on wolves. Mason was also known for including passages from Christian sermons in his films...
about his friend and fellow filmmaker Blake James, who pilots his own plane. The film was produced by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
(NFB). Awards for the film included two Golden Sheaf Awards and an Etrog Award (now known as a Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
) for Best Film under 30 minutes. Blake was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
.
Filming Blake was often dangerous. On one occasion, Mason lost sight of James while filming from another airplane. It was discovered that James had been forced to land on an island in the St. Lawrence River after forgetting to switch on his main fuel tank.
The film was shown theatrically in Canada and acquired by an American distributor. Theatrical showings in the U.S. led to an Oscar nomination in the live-action short category.
Mason and James first met at a commercial art studio in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. They later worked together at Crawley Films before both going to the NFB. James' film credits include an animated vignette on Canadian aviation pioneer Wilfrid R. "Wop" May. He also starred in Mason's acclaimed short film The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes
The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes
The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes is a 1968 Canadian short film. It is a humorous geography lesson where a tour of the Great Lakes is made by a lone canoeist who experiences most of the cataclysmic changes of ages of lake history...
.