{{Short description|Canadian animator}} {{Infobox person | name = Cordell Barker | image = CordellBarker.jpg | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|9|10}} | birth_place = [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]], Canada | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = Cordell Barker | other_names = | occupation = {{hlist|Animator|director|screenwriter}} | years_active = 1987–present | spouse = }} '''Cordell Barker''' (born 1956) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[animator]], director and screenwriter based in [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]]. He began animating in his late teens after taking on an apprenticeship at Kenn Perkins Animation. A two-time Academy Award nominee, Barker is an animation filmmaker with the [[National Film Board of Canada]] (NFB).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-stop-motion-film-about-power-in-the-wrong-hands|title=A Stop-Motion Film About Power in the Wrong Hands|last=Lawson|first=Sarah|date=2016-12-15|website=The New Yorker|publisher=|access-date=2016-12-16}}</ref>
==National Film Board of Canada== Earlier in his career, Barker did animation work on fellow Winnipeg animator Brad Caslor's NFB short, ''[[Get a Job (1985 film)|Get a Job]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/cordell-barker | title=Cordell Barker | publisher=Canadian Film Encyclopedia | work=Toronto International Film Festival | accessdate=23 March 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324001637/http://www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/cordell-barker | archivedate=24 March 2014 }}</ref> He then went on to direct his own NFB animated shorts, at the NFB's Winnipeg studio. His best known NFB shorts are ''[[The Cat Came Back (1988 film)|The Cat Came Back]]'' (1988)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=17537 |title=NFB Collections page |access-date=2007-08-17 |archive-date=2007-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819193946/http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=17537 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''[[Strange Invaders (2002 film)|Strange Invaders]]'' (2002),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=50441 |title=NFB Collections page |access-date=2007-08-17 |archive-date=2008-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209075442/http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=50441 |url-status=dead }}</ref> both of which received [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nominations.<ref name="VarietyJune4">{{cite news | url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118054435?refCatId=19 | title=NFB pushes Canadian artists in edgy direction | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=June 4, 2012 | accessdate=June 5, 2012 | author=Blair, Iain}}</ref>
He completed his third film for the NFB, [[Runaway (2009 film)|''Runaway'']], in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfb.ca/film/Runaway_making_of_animator_cordell_barker|title=Interview with Cordell Barker|year=2009|work=NFB.ca|publisher=National Film Board of Canada|accessdate=2009-04-30}}</ref><ref name="Dixon">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/canadian-cordell-barkers-animated-film-runaway-gets-buzz-at-sundance/article1446528/|title=A Runaway success |last=Dixon|first=Guy|date=Jan 27, 2010|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|publisher=CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. |accessdate=9 March 2010}}</ref> ''Runaway'' was named best animated film at the [[30th Genie Awards]].<ref>"[http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=108259; NFB animation a ‘Runaway’ winner at Genie Awards] {{dead link|date=October 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}". ''forum.bcdb.com'', April 13, 2010</ref> ''Strange Invaders'', ''The Cat Came Back'' and ''Runaway'' were included in the [[Animation show of shows|Animation Show of Shows]].
In April 2010, he was hired as a [[creative consultant]] by the NFB to oversee its animation projects from the [[Canadian Prairies]], [[Northwest Territories]] and [[Nunavut]].<ref name="cp">{{cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/nfb-names-barker-to-guide-prairie-animation-projects-92487419.html|title=NFB names Barker to guide Prairie animation projects|date=March 30, 2010|work=[[Canadian Press]]|publisher=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|accessdate=30 April 2010}}</ref>
===''If I Was God...''=== Barker's fourth film with the NFB is ''If I Was God...'', a [[3D film]] about a 12-year-old boy speculating on what he would do if he was God. The film is inspired by Barker's experiences as a 12-year-old in grade seven, dissecting and experimenting on a frog in biology class, and sensing the approaching power of adulthood after having left the confines of elementary school. Barker intends to experiment with a variety of animation techniques in this film, use [[stop-motion]] puppets along with [[traditional animation]] and other forms.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cordell Barker: My God-like Process On 'If I Was God'|url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/sponsored-by-nfb/cordell-barker-god-like-process-god-126365.html|accessdate=17 November 2016|work=Cartoon Brew|date=16 December 2015}}</ref> The film is divided into episodes, with each sequence triggered by mental associations of typical grade seven classroom objects, such as science posters, dioramas and papier-mâché volcanoes. The director had initially contemplated also using [[CGI animation]] but abandoned the idea out of a desire to achieve an “organic hand-made feel” for the film. Barker was committed to completing the film with a much shorter production schedule than his previous works, which averaged “a disturbing and embarrassing 8½ years per film.”<ref name="VarietyJune4"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Barker|first=Cordell|title=If I was god: A Chronicle of Anticipated Pain|url=https://blog.nfb.ca/2012/04/16/if-i-was-god-a-chronicle-of-anticipated-pain/|work=NFB.ca blog|publisher=National Film Board of Canada|accessdate=19 July 2012|date=16 April 2012}}</ref> In November 2015, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that ''If I Was God...'' was one of 10 films—and two NFB productions—[[Short list|shortlist]]ed for a possible Oscar nomination, however the film didn't receive a nomination.<ref name="godshortlist">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/oscars-2015-claude-cloutier-cordell-barker-nfb-1.3326981|title=NFB animated short films make Academy Awards shortlist|date=19 November 2015|work=[[The Canadian Press]]|publisher=CBC News|accessdate=21 November 2015}}</ref>
==Short films== * ''[[The Cat Came Back (1988 film)|The Cat Came Back]]'' (1988) * ''[[Strange Invaders (2002 film)|Strange Invaders]]'' (2001) * ''[[Runaway (2009 film)|Runaway]]'' (2009) * ''If I Was God...'' (2015) * ''Good Luck to You All'' (2025)
==Commercial work== He has also worked on commercial campaigns for entities such as [[KFC]], [[Coca-Cola]], [[Benylin]], [[Bell Canada]], Lors, [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]], and the [[Government of Canada]] and ''[[Sesame Street]]''.
==References== <references/>
==External links== * {{IMDb name|nm0054855}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070926231219/http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=46&csid1=5&navid=46 Film Reference Library biography] *[https://www.nfb.ca/explore-all-directors/cordell-barker Watch Cordell Barker's films online] *[https://blog.nfb.ca/2010/05/03/animation-g-man-cordell-barker/ ''Animation G-man: Cordell Barker'', Barker's blog entry at NFB.ca]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Cordell}} [[Category:1956 births]] [[Category:Artists from Winnipeg]] [[Category:Canadian animated film directors]] [[Category:Directors of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Animated Short]] [[Category:Film directors from Winnipeg]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:National Film Board of Canada people]] [[Category:Manitoba Liberal Party candidates in Manitoba provincial elections]] [[Category:Producers of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Animated Short]]