Thankfully there is more to Canada than simply Cheese, Punk, and Skank. In other words, Celine, Avril, and Pamela Anderson.

In fact, when it comes to this year’s Oscars, Canada features more prominently than ever.

Ellen Page for Best Actress, Jason Reitman for Best Director, Sarah Polley for Best Screenplay, and…

I MET THE WALRUS.

Nominated for Best Animated Short, predicted to win its category by none other than Entertainment Weekly, I MET THE WALRUS was inspired by the 1969 interview in Toronto between 14 year old Jerry Levitan and, who else?, John Lennon. Jerry snuck into Lennon’s hotel and somehow charmed the Beatle into granting him an interview. Amazing.

It is history, it is social activism, it is humour, it is art, it is hope, and it is only 5 minutes and 10 seconds long. Amazing how apropos Lennon"s message is almost 40 years after the fact.

I MET THE WALRUS is brilliant. And proudly Canadian. Written, directed, and animated by a Canadian (Josh Raskin) and produced with the CTV Bravo!FACT grant to promote and encourage emerging Canadian filmmakers, I MET THE WALRUS, like Ellen Page and Sarah Polley and Jason Reitman, is everything that is RIGHT about the Canadian cultural landscape, and it is welcome Canadian redemption from the dirty leftovers of Pamela Anderson.

Watch the World Television Premiere of I MET THE WALRUS immediately following the live Oscar telecast on CTV on Sunday night.