The animated film in Canada has come of age and may be regarded as a distinct genre in Canadian cinema. Animated films produced in Canada can now be ranked with the works of other artists, including docudrama films. In this study, we show that, during their formative periods, Canadian authors of animated films shared a number of preoccupations with their fellow Quebec literary and pictorial artists, and cinematographers, the most important of which was a commitment to social protest. / This study is a detailed analysis of some 250 short animated films produced at the National Film Board between 1950 and 1984. In their choice of themes, frequent didactic stance and experiments with image and sound, almost all animated film creators are seen to be engaged in questioning the status quo and/or calling for social and political change. Their films might be best characterized as exploratory, informative and persuasive. The analysis permits us to further classify the films as contributions made by Canadian men or women, English- or French-speaking animators, and foreign guests. / In this study we have paid particular attention to the historical, esthetic and socio-cultural influences on the development of the contemporary animated film in Quebec during the different stages of its evolution.

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