# Cordell Barker

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Canadian animator

Cordell Barker Born Cordell Barker (1956-09-10) September 10, 1956 (age 69) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Occupations Animator director screenwriter Years active 1987–present

**Cordell Barker** (born 1956) is a [Canadian](/source/Canadians) [animator](/source/Animator), director and screenwriter based in [Winnipeg](/source/Winnipeg), [Manitoba](/source/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](/source/National_Film_Board_of_Canada) (NFB).[1]

## 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](/source/Get_a_Job_(1985_film))*.[2] 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](/source/The_Cat_Came_Back_(1988_film))* (1988)[3] and *[Strange Invaders](/source/Strange_Invaders_(2002_film))* (2002),[4] both of which received [Oscar](/source/Academy_Awards) nominations.[5]

He completed his third film for the NFB, [*Runaway*](/source/Runaway_(2009_film)), in 2009.[6][7] *Runaway* was named best animated film at the [30th Genie Awards](/source/30th_Genie_Awards).[8] *Strange Invaders*, *The Cat Came Back* and *Runaway* were included in the [Animation Show of Shows](/source/Animation_show_of_shows).

In April 2010, he was hired as a [creative consultant](/source/Creative_consultant) by the NFB to oversee its animation projects from the [Canadian Prairies](/source/Canadian_Prairies), [Northwest Territories](/source/Northwest_Territories) and [Nunavut](/source/Nunavut).[9]

### *If I Was God...*

Barker's fourth film with the NFB is *If I Was God...*, a [3D film](/source/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](/source/Stop-motion) puppets along with [traditional animation](/source/Traditional_animation) and other forms.[10] 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](/source/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.”[5][11] 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—[shortlisted](/source/Short_list) for a possible Oscar nomination, however the film didn't receive a nomination.[12]

## Short films

- *[The Cat Came Back](/source/The_Cat_Came_Back_(1988_film))* (1988)

- *[Strange Invaders](/source/Strange_Invaders_(2002_film))* (2001)

- *[Runaway](/source/Runaway_(2009_film))* (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](/source/KFC), [Coca-Cola](/source/Coca-Cola), [Benylin](/source/Benylin), [Bell Canada](/source/Bell_Canada), Lors, [Nike](/source/Nike%2C_Inc.), and the [Government of Canada](/source/Government_of_Canada) and *[Sesame Street](/source/Sesame_Street)*.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Lawson, Sarah (2016-12-15). ["A Stop-Motion Film About Power in the Wrong Hands"](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-stop-motion-film-about-power-in-the-wrong-hands). *The New Yorker*. Retrieved 2016-12-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Cordell Barker"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140324001637/http://www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/cordell-barker). *Toronto International Film Festival*. Canadian Film Encyclopedia. Archived from [the original](http://www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/cordell-barker) on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["NFB Collections page"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070819193946/http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=17537). Archived from [the original](http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=17537) on 2007-08-19. Retrieved 2007-08-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["NFB Collections page"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081209075442/http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=50441). Archived from [the original](http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=50441) on 2008-12-09. Retrieved 2007-08-17.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-VarietyJune4_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-VarietyJune4_5-1) Blair, Iain (June 4, 2012). ["NFB pushes Canadian artists in edgy direction"](https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118054435?refCatId=19). *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. Retrieved June 5, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Interview with Cordell Barker"](http://www.nfb.ca/film/Runaway_making_of_animator_cordell_barker). *NFB.ca*. National Film Board of Canada. 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Dixon_7-0)** Dixon, Guy (Jan 27, 2010). ["A Runaway success"](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/canadian-cordell-barkers-animated-film-runaway-gets-buzz-at-sundance/article1446528/). *[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)*. CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. Retrieved 9 March 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** "[NFB animation a ‘Runaway’ winner at Genie Awards](http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=108259;) [*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]". *forum.bcdb.com*, April 13, 2010

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cp_9-0)** ["NFB names Barker to guide Prairie animation projects"](https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/nfb-names-barker-to-guide-prairie-animation-projects-92487419.html). *[Canadian Press](/source/Canadian_Press)*. [Winnipeg Free Press](/source/Winnipeg_Free_Press). March 30, 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Cordell Barker: My God-like Process On 'If I Was God'"](http://www.cartoonbrew.com/sponsored-by-nfb/cordell-barker-god-like-process-god-126365.html). *Cartoon Brew*. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Barker, Cordell (16 April 2012). ["If I was god: A Chronicle of Anticipated Pain"](https://blog.nfb.ca/2012/04/16/if-i-was-god-a-chronicle-of-anticipated-pain/). *NFB.ca blog*. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-godshortlist_12-0)** ["NFB animated short films make Academy Awards shortlist"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/oscars-2015-claude-cloutier-cordell-barker-nfb-1.3326981). *[The Canadian Press](/source/The_Canadian_Press)*. CBC News. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.

## External links

- [Cordell Barker](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0054855/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Film Reference Library biography](https://web.archive.org/web/20070926231219/http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=46&csid1=5&navid=46)

- [Watch Cordell Barker's films online](https://www.nfb.ca/explore-all-directors/cordell-barker)

- [*Animation G-man: Cordell Barker*, Barker's blog entry at NFB.ca](https://blog.nfb.ca/2010/05/03/animation-g-man-cordell-barker/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cordell Barker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordell_Barker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordell_Barker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.