Closed
Development program — General stream
Money to develop feature films
Last Update: March 4, 2026
Funding available
$ 15,000 - $ 37,500
Timeline
- Open Date : September 3, 2024
- Closing date : September 23, 2024
Location
Canada
Overview
Get a repayable advance of up to $37,500 in the development stage of your feature film. To be eligible, you need to have released at least 1 fictional or documentary feature film in the last 6 years, and 1 film that premiered at a qualifying festival.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop a new product or service
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 37,500 $
- Minimum amount : 15,000 $
Timeline
- Open Date : September 3, 2024
- Closing date : September 23, 2024
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Other Racialized Persons
- Black Canadians
- Canadians
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Development of feature-length Canadian films, including both fiction and documentary projects (minimum 75 minutes).
- Advancement of scripts through stages such as first, second, third or subsequent draft, or packaging.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Canadian feature film production companies
- Audiovisual production companies based and operating in Canada
Who is not eligible
- Companies that are not Canadian-controlled corporations.
- Companies that do not have their head office and do not carry out their activities in Canada.
- Companies that do not operate as audiovisual (feature film production) companies.
Eligible expenses
- Budget breakdown preparation.
- Corporate overhead (up to 20% of direct costs).
- Production of demos.
- Design and graphic bible creation.
- Director fees (if different from the screenwriter or for packaging phase).
- Fringe benefits related to project personnel.
- Legal fees.
- Option fees for acquiring rights to literary works (unless paid to the producer).
- Preproduction casting and scouting.
- Producer fees (up to 20% of direct costs).
- Research costs linked to the project.
- Screenwriter fees as per agreement.
- Scriptwriting workshops and storyboarding.
- Story consultant or script editor fees (independent from the producer, including sensitivity and EDI consulting).
- Travel and related costs for preproduction scouting, financing, or final packaging of the film.
- Expenses for non-Canadian script editors and consultants (if no copyright ownership results).
- Costs for obtaining an option on non-Canadian literary work or original idea.
Eligible geographic areas
- Companies with their head office and activities in Canada.
Additional information
- Applicants can only submit one application per year to a single stream, and the choice of stream is final after submission.
- Each applicant must ensure all related parties are acting independently when more than one application is considered from a corporate group.
- Projects previously unsuccessful twice in this program cannot be resubmitted; each project can receive a maximum of four rounds of development funding.
- Compliance with guidelines does not guarantee funding, as all decisions are at Telefilm's full discretion and subject to available funds.
Documents and links
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Development program — General stream Program
Here are answers to the most common questions about the Development program — General stream. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.
What is the Development program — General stream?
Get a repayable advance of up to $37,500 in the development stage of your feature film. To be eligible, you need to have released at least 1 fictional or documentary feature film in the last 6 years, and 1 film that premiered at a qualifying festival.
How much funding can be received?
Development program — General stream Funds up to $37,500 of admissible expenses.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was September 23, 2024.
Who is eligible for the Development program — General stream program?
To be eligible for the Development program — General stream program, you must:
Canadian-controlled corporation with head office and operations in Canada
Operates as an audiovisual production company
For-profit production company eligible
What expenses are eligible under Development program — General stream?
Development of feature-length Canadian films, including both fiction and documentary projects (minimum 75 minutes).
Advancement of scripts through stages such as first, second, third or subsequent draft, or packaging.
Who can I contact for more information about the Development program — General stream?
You can contact Telefilm Canada by email at coordination@telefilm.ca or by phone at 438-806-4865.
Where is the Development program — General stream available?
The Development program — General stream program is available across Canada.