
Colin Low
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1926-07-24
Day of Death
2016-02-24 (89 years old)
Place of Birth
Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Colin Low
Biography
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.
Crew
Log House
Executive Producer
I Am an Old Tree
Executive Producer
(2000)
Moving Pictures
Director
(1992)
Momentum
Director
(1988)
Emergency
Director, Writer
(1986)
Transitions
Director
(1983)
The Contour Connection
Director
(1982)
Standing Alone
Director
(1979)
A Pinto for the Prince
Director
(1976)
Christ Is Risen
Executive Producer
(1976)
The Mad Canadian
Executive Producer
(1976)
The Sword of the Lord
Executive Producer
(1976)
No Way They Want to Slow Down
Executive Producer
(1976)
Blackwood
Executive Producer
(1976)
Los Canadienses
Producer
(1975)
Earthware
Producer
(1975)
Descent
Producer
(1975)
Waiting for Fidel
Producer
(1975)
Alberta Girls
Executive Producer
(1975)
Musicanada
Executive Producer
(1975)
Lumsden
Executive Producer
(1974)
The Boat That Ian Built
Producer
(1974)
In Search of the Bowhead Whale
Executive Producer
(1974)
Cree Hunters of Mistassini
Producer
(1974)
In Praise of Hands
Producer
(1974)
Bate's Car: Sweet as a Nut
Executive Producer
(1974)
Freshwater World
Executive Producer
(1974)
King of the Hill
Executive Producer
(1974)
The New Alchemists
Producer
(1973)
Coming Home
Producer
(1973)
Kainai
Producer
(1972)
When I Go - That's It!
Director
(1972)
A Memo from Fogo
Producer
(1972)
Cell 16
Producer
(1971)
(1970)
The Winds of Fogo
Director
(1968)
Introduction to Fogo Island
Director
(1967)
A Wedding and Party
Director
(1967)
A Woman's Place
Director
(1967)
The Mercer Family
Director
(1967)
In the Labyrinth
Director
(1967)
The Children of Fogo Island
Director
(1967)
Billy Crane Moves Away
Director
(1967)
(1967)
The Merchant and the Teacher
Director
(1967)
McGraths at Home and Fishing
Director
(1967)
Andrew Britt at Shoal Bay
Director
(1967)
Jim Decker Builds a Longliner
Director
(1967)
The Songs of Chris Cobb
Director
(1967)
Citizen Discussions
Director
(1967)
Thoughts on Fogo and Norway
Director
(1967)
The Story of the Up Top
Director
(1967)
Some Problems of Fogo
Director
(1967)
Dan Roberts on Fishing
Director
(1967)
Joe Kinsella on Education
Director
(1967)
(1967)
Fishermen's Meeting
Director
(1967)
(1967)
Tom Best on Co-operatives
Director
(1967)
(1967)
Discussion on Welfare
Director
(1967)
Fogo's Expatriates
Director
(1967)
Jim Decker's Party
Director
(1964)
Free Fall
Producer
(1964)
The Hutterites
Director
(1963)
Seven Surprizes
Director
(1963)
21-87
Producer
(1962)
Pot-pourri
Producer
(1962)
The Living Machine
Animation
(1962)
My Financial Career
Producer
(1961)
Very Nice, Very Nice
Producer
(1961)
Circle of the Sun
Director, Writer
(1961)
The Days of Whisky Gap
Director
(1960)
Universe
Writer, Production Design, Director
(1960)
Appetizers
Producer
(1959)
A is for Architecture
Producer
(1959)
City Out of Time
Director
(1958)
The Living Stone
Cinematography
(1957)
City of Gold
Director, Director of Photography
(1955)
The Jolifou Inn
Editor, Director
(1955)
Gold
Director
(1954)
Riches of the Earth
Director
(1954)
Corral
Director, Writer
(1954)
One Little Indian
Producer
(1952)
Age of the Beaver
Director
(1952)
(1950)
Teamwork - Past and Present
Director
(1948)
Time and Terrain
Director, Animation, Editor
(1947)
Cadet Rousselle
Animation