CMF launches new export pilot program
Toronto, December 1, 2017 – The Canada Media Fund (CMF) announced today a new program to develop exports of Canadian content. The CMF Export Pilot Program will help finance development activities for television projects intended for international markets. The program focusses on acquiring pre-sale financing from foreign broadcasters, online streaming services, distributors and sales agents. To access the program guidelines, please click here.
This initiative is developed in addition to a separate pilot partnership with the Quebecor Fund, allowing the CMF to leverage that fund’s expertise in the implementation of a tried-and-tested export assistance program. To access the pilot partnership guidelines, please click here.
“Based on results observed in other CMF programs, ongoing stakeholder feedback, and an extensive benchmarking analysis of existing export initiatives in the audiovisual sector, this pilot program was developed to promote content creation for international markets, increase the volume of content exports, create a leverage effect to help finance additional content, and increase both the reach and the revenue earned by Canadian productions,” said Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, CMF. “This approach is perfectly aligned with the CMF’s and the Government of Canada’s vision for Canadian content in the global marketplace.”
With a budget set at $2.6M, the program will support both English and French-language projects. In the English market, only live-action projects are eligible to apply. In the French market, both live-action and animation projects are eligible. The maximum contribution by the CMF will be the lesser of 75 per cent of a project’s eligible costs or $75,000.
The program will support producers as they pitch their projects and secure pre-sale financing from foreign investors, including broadcasters, online streaming services, distributors and sales agents. The initiative will support costs connected to the creation of pitch materials; limited translation, dubbing and subtitling; the development of the production budget and financing structures; legal and accounting costs, producer fees and corporate overhead; as well as travel and accommodation costs related to procuring international pre-sale financing and sales market attendance costs.
Eligible projects under this Program must be in a CMF-supported genre and will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications for financing in this Program will be accepted beginning January 23, 2018 and will close on March 6, 2018.
About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content 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.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Johanne Vézina
Deputy Director
CMF Program Administrator
514-283-0838
[email protected]
For media requests, please contact:
André Ferreira
Communications Manager
Canada Media Fund
416-554-2768
[email protected]
