Madame Tutli-Putli wins two awards at the International Critics’ Week

Cannes 2007

Montreal, May 25, 2007 – It was announced in Cannes today that the National Film Board of Canada’s animated short Madame Tutli-Putli has won two awards at the 46th International Critics’ Week: the Canal + Award for Best Short Film and the Petit Rail d’Or for Best Short Film.

Madame Tutli-Putli is a stunning, stop-motion animated film that takes the viewer on an exhilarating existential journey when Madame Tutli-Putli boards the night train, weighed down with all her earthly possessions and the ghosts of her past. The emotive film is avant-garde in its use of puppet animation, introducing groundbreaking visual techniques and a haunting, original score.

Madame Tutli-Putli is Montreal-based Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski’s first professional film and the pair were in France to accept the award. Marcy Page is producer and David Verrall the executive producer. Both have worked on numerous NFB productions, most recently Ryan and The Danish Poet.

About the Awards
The Canal + Award means that Madame Tutli-Putli will be broadcast on Canal + and that the directors will be invited to the Moulin d’Andé, a historical monument and artists’ retreat. As part of this award, the directors will also receive from Panavision Alga Techno €6,000 in equipment for shooting their next film. Le Petit Rail d’Or is awarded every year by a group of a hundred cinephile railwaymen and is a testament to audiences’ appreciation.

Upcoming Screenings
After Cannes the next stop for the Madame Tutli-Putli train is the prestigious Annecy Animation Film Festival (June 11-16); during the same period the film will have its North American premiere at the Worldwide Shorts Festival in Toronto (June 12-17). The film will also be part of the International Critics’ Week tour and will be screened in Rome, Paris, Beirut and Mexico.