In 1911, Parks Canada was founded, becoming the world’s first national parks service. On the eve of its centennial, FilmCAN and Primitive Entertainment, in conjunction with Parks Canada, Discovery Channel HD, the CMF, and the Rogers Cable Network Fund, are pleased to present THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT (NPP) a ground-breaking collaborative film, music, television and new media project that features contributions by more than 50 of Canada’s most acclaimed filmmakers and musicians, celebrating the inspirational beauty of Canada’s national parks.

In the tradition of the Group of Seven, Margaret Atwood’s Survival and other cultural touchstones, the National Parks Project aims to explore the ways in which the wilderness shapes our cultural imagination, and to contextualize it for our modern, technology-driven society. From May to October, 2010, the project sent groups comprised of one filmmaker and three musicians to a park in each province and territory, to capture their experience in a short film and soundtrack. Each quartet was selected with the aim of putting together people that had never worked together before, in the spirit of exploring unfamiliar ground. Musicians and filmmakers from across the artistic spectrum were selected – arena rockers are represented beside avant-garde experimentalists, and directors range from 30-year veterans to young filmmakers releasing their first feature film.

The project has resulted in the following:

The National Parks Project, film collection. 127min omnibus feature film comprised of the 13 short films created for the project. Screenings at Berlinale, SXSW, HotDocs, Tampere, MoMA (New York), DOXA, Possible Worlds (Sydney), Reykjavik IFF, Nouveau Cinema (Montreal) and others.

The National Parks Project, documentary series. 13X30min episodes for Discovery Channel HD, chronicling the making of the NPP, and the artists' adventures in the park. 

The National Parks Project Interactive. An immersive interactive portal through which users can screen the NPP films and music, and engage with over 3hrs of additional documentary segments following the creation of the NPP films and music. 

The National Parks Project album and EPs. Distributed by Last Gang Records, with proceeds to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Awards & Acknowledgements:

Winner, GENIE AWARD, Best Short Documentary (Sirmilik, dir. Zacharias Kunuk)
Winner, GEMINI AWARD, Best Arts Documentary Series (Discovery Channel series)
Winner, ATOMIC AWARD, Best Transmedia
Winner, FWA Site of the Day
Finalist, SXSW Interactive Awards, Best Art Interactive
Nominated, BANFF WORLD MEDIA AWARDS 'THE ROCKIES', Cross-Platform Project: Non-Fiction
Nominated, GEMINI AWARD, Best Cross-Platform Project: Non-Fiction
Nominated, INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY AWARDS, Best Limited Series
Nominated, DIGI AWARD, Best Cross-Platform Project: Non-Fiction
Nominated, GOLDEN SHEAF AWARD, Best Arts Series

To experience the project visit the National Parks Project Interactive.

For more information visit the National Parks Project info site.