Canada Media Fund invests over $31M in 141 projects
Toronto, February 26, 2021 – The Canada Media Fund (CMF) today announced it is investing $31.7M in the prototyping, development, production, and marketing of 141 Canadian audiovisual projects. These projects will receive funding through eight CMF programs.
“Despite the upheaval caused by the global pandemic, the CMF has over the past several months continued to deliver funding though its various programs, in addition to administering over $120M in Government of Canada COVID-19 Emergency Support Funds,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, CMF. “We have made--and will continue to make—every effort necessary to ensure Canada’s creators take their stories to screens here at home and around the world. The CMF is now pleased to announce it is investing over $31M in 141 projects through several of our programs, in both the Convergent and Experimental streams.”
Commercial Projects Program
CMF will invest over $5.5M in the second round of production funding of seven digital media projects with a high potential of commercial success. A jury of Canadian and international specialists evaluated the projects submitted for funding.
Projects were evaluated based on their potential to attain stated commercial objectives, demonstrate business opportunity, and achieve profitability.
Click here to view a list of projects funded through the Commercial Projects Program.
Diverse Languages Program
The CMF will provide $3.3M in funding to 18 diverse languages projects. Audiences will enjoy new content in Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Tagalog, Russian, and Portuguese.
The Diverse Languages Program supports productions reflecting Canadian diversity by funding projects in languages other than English, French, or Indigenous languages.
To find out more about projects that will receive funding through this program, click here.
Digital Linear Series Program
A total of 18 digital linear series will receive $4.0M in funding through the CMF’s Digital Linear Series Program.
The Digital Linear Series Program is designed to support digital linear series in their second (or subsequent) season, created initially for online platforms and in designated CMF genres.
Click here to view a list of CMF-funded projects that will receive funding through this program.
Early-stage Development Program
In an effort to fund the development of projects at the beginning of their creative process, the CMF will provide $1.65M in funds to 49 projects through the Early-stage Development Program.
Click here to view a list of projects funded through this program.
Francophone Minority Program
A total of nine convergent projects will receive $3.7M in funding as part of the second round of production financing through the Francophone Minority Program. This program supports projects which reflect the realities of living in French-language communities outside Québec.
Audiences will have a chance to enjoy new French-language content produced in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
Click here to view a list of CMF-funded projects and additional information, including production synopses, producer credits, and funding commitments.
Innovation Program: Limited Marketing and Promotion
The CMF will invest a further $548K in marketing and promotion support to five interactive digital media projects through the second round of funding of its Innovation Program: Limited Marketing and Promotion.
Marketing support provides funding for the marketing and promotion of an eligible project such as the creation of national and international marketing campaigns, design costs, creation and market-testing of advertising, use of the Internet for promotion or transactions, and more.
Click here to access a list of projects that received marketing support.
Innovation Program: Production
A CMF investment of $8.7M through the second round of production funding of the Innovation and Experimentation Program will support 12 Canadian innovative digital media projects. A jury of Canadian and international specialists evaluated the projects submitted for funding.
The Experimental Stream’s Innovation Program allocates funding to interactive digital media content and software applications that are innovative and leading-edge.
For information on the latest projects that received production support, please click here.
Prototyping Program
An investment of $4.3M will enable the development of 23 digital media prototypes, including games, rich interactive media, and software applications through the second round of funding of the Prototyping Program.
The Experimental Stream’s Prototyping Program allocates funding to projects at the early stages of building a product to demonstrate its intended functionalities and design. Specifically, this phase is for experimenting, testing and validating different concepts and hypotheses to arrive at a first functional prototype.
For information on the latest projects that received prototyping support, please click here.
About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors. Please visit cmf-fmc.ca.
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For press inquiries, please contact:
André Ferreira
Senior Communications Manager
Canada Media Fund
[email protected]
(416) 554-2768
