In this article we look at film grants in Canada. The movie industry in Canada is a booming sector of the economy; as at 2019, the production volume hit CAD 9.3 billion. 6.38 billion of that amount came from television production alone.
The film industry is heavily concentrated in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Ontario being the largest film production hub contributed 38% of total production in 2019/20 while British Columbia contributed 30% of total production volume.
List of Film Grants in Canada
The Canadian film industry boasts of a long and rich history, however, to preserve this rich history, it is important to encourage film makers with the use of grants. Below are some of the film grants in Canada:
Canada Media Fund (CMF)
The Canadian cable sector and the Department of Canadian Heritage established the Canada Media Fund (CMF) on April 1, 2010, as a public-private collaboration.
The CMF encourages the development of well-liked, cutting-edge Canadian software programs and content for all audiovisual media platforms. The Canadian government and the country’s providers of cable, satellite, and Internet Protocol television (IPTV) give money to the CMF.
The CMF will invest $366 million in the television and digital media sector in Canada in 2023–2024. The CMF has a number of products that support the creation of different sorts of content, such as Persona-ID, a program that aids artists in formulating audience engagement plans.
The CMF also finances initiatives in the field of digital media, including Bloodroots Now & Next Webseries Short.
Website: https://cmf-fmc.ca
Recommended: 10 Film Schools in Montreal: Top Schools
National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Grants
The Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) is a program provided by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) to aspiring independent filmmakers to aid in the completion of their films or videos.
Projects that adhere to the NFB’s mandate in terms of cultural and social goals, uniqueness and innovation in style and content, and the promotion of underrepresented viewpoints are supported by the program.
FAP does not provide funds (cash). Technical assistance is provided up to a maximum cash value of $3,000 or $5,000 depending on the area in which you live.
Documentaries, cartoons, and brief dramas (on film or video) are all supported by FAP. Students majoring in film are not supported by the FAP.
A person is ineligible if they have produced more than three films or videos (outside of film school). Productions that feature a lot of sexual violence, gratuitous violence, or other forms of sexual exploitation are ineligible.
In this case, the NFB reserves the right to use its discretion; all of its decisions are final. The following phrase may be included in the credits of works that have received FAP support, at the discretion of the NFB Producer: “Made in part with the support of the National Film Board of Canada’s Filmmaker Assistance Program.” A DVD copy of the finished project must be sent to the NFB FAP Program.
Website: https://production.nfbonf.ca/en/filmmaker-assistance-program-fap/
Telefilm Canada Funding Programs
The Canadian audiovisual sector receives financial backing from Telefilm Canada, a federal cultural organization. They provide funding programs for the development, production, and post-production of feature films.
Additionally, they have funding schemes for events and exhibitions that feature Canadian artists and content. To assist in the realization of ideas, Telefilm Canada supports collaborations with other nations.
Website: https://telefilm.ca/en/we-finance-and-support/our-programs
Ontario Creates Film Fund
The Ontario Creates Film Fund is a program that supports Ontario producers by supporting the creation and production of their feature film projects. The program promotes a variety of projects across genres with both commercial and cultural advantages and aims to boost the volume of domestic feature film production in Ontario.
Website: https://www.ontariocreates.ca/our-sectors/film-tv/film-fund/film-fund-production
Recommended: 10 Top Film Schools in Sydney: Best Steps
Creative BC Media Grants
A non-profit company called Creative BC offers financial programs to encourage the expansion of the creative industries in British Columbia.
The company offers a number of financial initiatives, including the Domestic Motion Picture Fund, which awards grants to budding and equity-seeking British Columbian filmmakers. For aspiring filmmakers, the Domestic Motion Picture Fund’s Reel Focus BC program provides a development program.
To help with the cost of assembling a production team to do research, develop a concept, or write a script, the program offers grants of up to $10,000.
The British Columbian government has also recently disclosed a $42 million funding boost for the creative industry in addition to these programs.
Website: https://creativebc.com/services/funding-programs
Alberta Film and Media Fund
A program called the Alberta Multimedia Development Fund (AMDF) offers a partial compensation for costs associated with producing screen-based content in Alberta. The AMDF offers support to film productions shot in Alberta.
Another program that encourages the development of film and television production in Alberta is the Alberta Media Fund Screen-Based Production Grant program. This program provides up to $7.5 million in support for each project, or 30% of qualified production costs incurred in Alberta.
Website: https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-media-fund
Recommended: 12 Film Schools in Melbourne: Top Must-Check Factors
Manitoba Film and Music Grants
In order to support the film and music industries in Manitoba, Manitoba Film and Music develops and promotes local businesses, produces and markets motion picture, television, video, and music recording projects, and advertises Manitoba as a location for international production companies. They provide a number of music funding initiatives to support the growth of Manitoba’s already thriving music scene.
One of their initiatives is the Produce program, which aims to assist the Manitoba music recording business in creating culturally appropriate and financially viable music recording products. Candidates may submit their applications for one of three program levels.
For artists and industry professionals in Manitoba who are working on a single, EP, or album for commercial release and want to submit an application by Manitoba Film & Music’s upcoming September 21, 2023 deadline, MusicWorks and Indigenous Music are launching a new grant application incubator program.
Website: mbfilmmusic.ca
Saskatchewan Film and Video Production Tax Credit
The amount available for the Production Grant Program has increased to $10 million thanks to a $8 million increase in the Saskatchewan government’s grant program for cinema and television in its 2022–23 budget. With the expansion of streaming platforms and the resulting quick development of content, Saskatchewan hopes that this increase will draw more and bigger projects.
Website: https://www.creativesask.ca/additional-funding-resources/
Nova Scotia Film and Television Production Incentive Fund
A financial incentive program called the Nova Scotia Film & Television Production Incentive Fund offers assistance for the production of screen-based material in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
The program’s goal is to encourage and aid in the film and television industry in Nova Scotia while providing important creative positions with financial rewards for local residents, such as directors, writers, and lead actors.
Organizations that produce films or videos primarily for public consumption and have a permanent establishment in the province are eligible for the fund. The award is available for projects with a minimum $25,000 (before HST) Nova Scotia cost.
Based on the ownership proportion, there are two groups. In contrast to Stream II, which is for businesses with less than 50% Nova Scotian ownership or control of production, Stream I is for businesses with 50% to 100% Nova Scotian ownership and control of output.
For Stream I or Stream II, the fund contributes a base amount equal to 26% or 25% of all qualified Nova Scotia costs. Based on variables such the proportion of rural or non-metropolitan region shooting, the length of shoots in Nova Scotia, and completing the requirements for the Nova Scotia Content Incentive, more cash may be available.
Website: https://cch.novascotia.ca/film-and-television-production-incentive-fund
Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation (NLFDC) Funding
The Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation (NLFDC) was founded in February 1997 with the goal of developing the province’s local screen industries. It does this by producing local movies and television shows for domestic and international audiences as well as serving as a location for guest productions to film in the province.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Film and Video Tax Credit, as well as the Equity Investment Program, are two of the NLFDC’s investment initiatives for the sector.
The NLFDC’s annual budget for 2020–21 was $4,611,000, which included $611,000 in government funds for program support, operating support, and marketing, as well as $4,000,000 in funding for the Corporation to give equity and other business finance support to telefilm firms in the Province.
Website: https://picturenl.ca
New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-operative (NBFC) Grants
Anyone 16 years of age and older who is interested in learning about film and video production is welcome to join the New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-operative (NBFC), a fully equipped film and video training facility.
The NBFC offers a wide range of services, like as workshops and training, creative support and mentoring, grant writing aid, equipment, human resources, social events, and unofficial writer/director/actor laboratories.
A grant-giving program called Short Film Venture is provided by the NBFC to up-and-coming filmmakers in the province. The program is made to assist filmmakers in creating their first brief film.
The NBFC is in charge of running the program and will serve as the point of contact for submitting update reports and receiving grant drawdowns throughout the procedure. The award applicant may ask for the second installment of their grant at any time during the following year by submitting their final project, financial report, and written report.
Website: www.nbfilmcoop.com
Prince Edward Island Film Media Fund
The Prince Edward Island Film Production Fund is a financial incentive program that aids in the expansion and development of the island’s private film and television business. For work completed in Prince Edward Island, the fund offers a refund of between 32 and 35 percent of eligible expenses.
The program aims to increase the quantity of service and local productions to boost Prince Edward Island’s visibility on screens, expand the skilled labor market and support the growth of creative industries and workers on PEI, strengthen the domestic PEI film and television production sector, and give PEI producers the chance to be more competitive in securing funding and co-production opportunities.
Website: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/
Other Film Grants in Canada are Listed Below:
| Quebec Film and Television Tax Credits | https://sodec.gouv.qc.ca/english |
| Yukon Film and Sound Commission Grants | https://yukon.ca/en/filming-yukon |
| Northwest Territories Film Commission Grants | https://www.gov.nt.ca/en/services/funding-programs |
| Nunavut Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Grants | www.nunavutfilm.ca |
FAQ
Does Canada Council fund films?
The Canada Council supports artistic endeavors where the creator (in the case of moving images, the director) takes the lead and steers the project while at all times maintaining full creative and editorial control. The Council opposes any work aimed at the film, television, and video gaming industries.
How hard is it to get a film grant?
Few of the thousands that apply are chosen to receive those coveted grants. Applications for film grants go through several phases and are evaluated by several people.
Asking for money is one of the most difficult aspects of making a movie. However, if you adhere to our advice for getting a film grant, you will have an advantage over other applicants.
Is Canada cheap to film?
Movie sets are substantially more economical in Canadian cities because they have a lower cost of living than American cities do. A vast and renowned pool of skilled people are also available in Canada, and they are paid less than they would in the US, making production less expensive.
