PERSONA-ID

As of February 20, 2025, the following changes to PERSONA-ID have been made:

1. The PERSONA-ID questionnaire has been updated with terminology and answer option modifications:
   • Indigenous Peoples to Canada
     • The word ‘tribe(s)’ has been removed as an example of a self-descriptive community or identity label for First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
   • Racial and Ethnocultural Identity
     • CMF’s standardized category title of Racialized Communities is now referred to as Black and Racialized Communities to further highlight unique challenges faced by Black communities.
     • Black and Racialized Communities have expanded to include Central Asians. The previous option,’Central and North Asian,’ has been removed; those identifying as Central Asian may now choose Central Asian. Those who identify as North Asian may choose another category or the option ‘None of the above’ and self-identify as they wish in the following open-answer question.
   • Disabled Persons or Persons with Disabilities
     • The definition of Disabled Persons or Persons with Disabilities and many of the corresponding options have changed to better align with recommendations from the Disability Screen Office (DSO).
     • The list of disabilities and conditions has expanded and added descriptions with examples for each answer option. Example: ‘Chronic disease’ has been changed to ‘Chronic Pain or Health Condition (e.g., persistent or episodic pain lasting 6 or more months, long-term illness with fluctuating effects).’
     • The list of accommodations has expanded and added descriptions for most answer options. Example: ‘Cognitive or Memory Aids (e.g., reminders, checklists)’ is a new option.
     • A note has been added on the privacy of this information and data being collected solely for statistical purposes.
     • All descriptions and examples are available in the PDF version of the PERSONA-ID questionnaire
   • Languages
     • Additional language options have been added including Abenaki, Dutch, Dari, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, and Sign Languages (including ASL, LSQ, etc.).
2. The PERSONA-ID platform has also been updated. The following changes affect the platform’s functionality:
   • Users will now have the option to cancel the creation of an account by clicking on “Cancel the creation of a PERSONA-ID account”
   • Users will receive a notification email after making an account to confirm the account’s creation and provide information on how to use the platform.

Please note that this is only a summary, so we encourage you to thoroughly read the PERSONA-ID questionnaire PDF. Per the Terms of Use, you may elect to change your responses to your PERSONA-ID questionnaire at any time. If any of these changes affect your personal account, we encourage you to modify the information in your account. For more information on modifying your account, see the PERSONA-ID user guide.

After creating a PERSONA-ID account and completing the voluntary PERSONA-ID self-identification questionnaire, you will be given a 6-digit number that will serve to identify you in the PERSONA-ID system. This number allows the CMF to confirm your identity and use the relevant information for the purposes mentioned above.

All shareholders and corporate directors of Applicant production companies applying to the CMF are encouraged to submit their PERSONA-ID number with their application.

Also, some programs may require Applicants to provide their PERSONA-ID numbers for eligibility. In some instances, Applicants may require their Production and Creative Teams or Eligible Positions to provide PERSONA-ID numbers to benefit from certain initiatives. The Applicant will not have access to the information itself.

For the Linear programs this may include the Production and Creative Teams:

• The Production Team is comprised of the paid producer positions on the project. “Producer” positions shall be defined as:
  • Producer
  • Executive Producer/Showrunner
  • Executive Producer
  • Co-executive Producer
  • Supervising Producer
  • Associate Producer
  • Creative Producer
• The Creative Team is comprised of the paid Writer and Director positions on the project. “Writer” and “Director” shall be defined in accordance with Guild collective agreements and ascribed the same meaning as commonly understood in the broadcast, television and film industries.

For Interactive Digital Media programs, this may include the following paid Eligible Positions:

• Producer
• Executive Producer
• Director (including Technical Director, Creative Director, Art Director, and
• Interactive Director)
• Senior Programmer
• Designer
• Project Leader

However, Applicants are encouraged to include the PERSONA-ID of all roles declared on their application (such as actors, cinematographers, picture editors, etc.) on a voluntary basis.

CMF encourages all individuals working on a project submitted to the CMF’s Convergent and Experimental Stream Programs to sign up for a PERSONA-ID and to share their number with Applicant company.

Information from these individuals who are not specifically requested for CMF eligibility will be anonymized and used in aggregate for statistical and Program evaluation purposes only.

The CMF will rely on the self-identification information associated with an individual’s PERSONA-ID number in order to confirm the CMF’s Gender Balance Requirement and Diverse Community Production Licenses Factor.

Since PERSONA-ID is a personal access account that may be used to identify you on multiple projects and by different production companies in the future, we encourage you to use your personal and most reliable email account.

Information that you submit will be anonymized and aggregated before it is used in any statistical or analytical document published by the CMF (e.g., the CMF’s Annual Report). While the CMF will not share your individual information with any third parties, the following limited access will be provided:

1. CMF Applicant production companies will only be able to see your name and PERSONA-ID number, but not any of the detailed self-identification information you provide. CMF Applicants may receive aggregated reports regarding the eligibility of their Applications without detailed information.
2. Canadian Broadcasters will receive aggregated reports regarding the demographic diversity of their Projects, without any of the detailed self-identification information you provide.
3. Designated CMF and CMF Program Administrator staff may access, review and internally share your information if it is relevant to the analysis of an Application.
4. Analytics and other reports based on anonymized and aggregated data may be shared with third parties (e.g., other funders in partnership Programs).
5. In some exceptional cases, the CMF may cross-validate its data with other organizations (e.g., the Indigenous Screen Office) to confirm the presence of individuals in both databases.

You can select multiple racial identities as you may feel apply. For certain targeted Programs or initiatives, CMF will consider those who may have selected the applicable identity(ies), including those who are biracial or multiracial.

You can change your personal information at any time by logging into your account and accessing the ‘My Personal Information’ landing page, finding the Self-Identification Information section and selecting the blue Modify link beside it. For more information, see the PERSONA-ID User Guide.

However, if your PERSONA-ID is already attached to an application currently being processed, the information submitted on the program’s deadline will be considered. To change your name or contact information, you will need to contact Telefilm’s Technical Services at [email protected].

Please note that to change your name, you may need to create a new account and inform the Applicant and the analyst handling any active applications linked to your old name.

You can delete your PERSONA-ID account by sending an email to [email protected] with the subject line Account deletion request. Please include your PERSONA-ID number in your message if available. If your account is not tied to an active Application, it will be deleted within 30 days. If it is tied to an active Application, the account will be made inactive. Inactive accounts will not be accessible, but the PERSONA-ID numbers will remain in our database for statistical purposes. Once an account is no longer tied to an Application, it will be deleted. The CMF or Telefilm staff will inform you when the process is completed.

Every time your PERSONA-ID number is used in a key role position in an application, you will receive an email notification. If you believe someone is using your PERSONA-ID number in an application without your consent, please contact [email protected] and request an inquiry. Applicants should only use a PERSONA-ID number someone who has agreed to participate in their project and who has provided their PERSONA-ID number with consent.

Applicants should inform their analyst of any changes to these roles as soon as they occur. Please note that any such changes may impact the Applicant and/or the Project  eligibility to certain programs and incentives regarding compliance eligibility requirements or scoring.

At the completion of any supported project, Applicants are required to confirm if any of the above roles or eligibility criteria have changed.

No, this is not required. The CMF will only evaluate the Canadian company composition and the Canadian personnel to determine a project’s eligibility to any of its Programs, incentives or requirements.

PERSONA-ID has been developed in compliance with Canadian law. Please note that privacy laws vary in other countries. The CMF does not intend to collect personal information from European Union residents. Residents of the EU should not create a PERSONA-ID account.

No. You can only use PERSONA-ID to self-identify for applications to the Canada Media Fund (CMF).

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is the sole owner of all data collected via PERSONA-ID. The CMF’s Program Administrator at Telefilm Canada acts as a third-party service provider for the CMF with the capacity to store, manage and deliver the data to the CMF.