How much funding can be received?

Funds up to 37500% of admissible expenses.

What is the deadline to apply?

The program is accepting continuous intake

Who are the financial supporters of the Development program — General stream?

Development program — General stream is funded by Telefilm Canada, Government of Canada

What are Development program — General stream's eligibility criterias?

The applicant must be a Canadian feature film production company. The company must have its head office in Canada. The company must carry out its activities in Canada.

Development program — General stream

grant_single|update March 31, 2025

Canada

Money to develop feature films

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grant_single|deadlines

grant_single|openingDate September 3, 2024
grant_single|closingDate September 23, 2024

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Grant and Funding

grant_single|eligibleIndustries

Information and cultural industries
Arts, entertainment and recreation

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Telefilm Canada
Government of Canada

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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.

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Development of feature-length film scripts at the first, second, third, or subsequent draft stages.
Packaging for feature-length films.

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$ 37,500

Create a thought-provoking documentary about climate change, focusing on the coastal cities of Vancouver

$ 37,500

Produce an animated feature about Canadian wildlife with emphasis on preproduction and key team engagement

$ 37,500

Develop a romantic comedy set in modern-day Toronto involving preproduction and script development

$ 37,500

Develop a historical drama exploring the Indigenous history of Montreal, focusing on script and story editing

$ 37,500

Create a feature film depicting the tech startup culture, focusing on script and creative team engagement

$ 37,500

Develop a horror film set in the haunted forests of Halifax with script writing and preproduction focus

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The eligibility criteria for Canadian feature film production companies to apply for this grant are as follows:

Applicants must be Canadian feature film production companies.
The company must have its head office located in Canada.
The company must carry out its activities primarily in Canada.

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Canadian feature film production companies who: Have their head office in Canada. Carry out their activities in Canada.

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The Development Program supports Canadian feature film production companies in advancing their projects through various developmental stages. This includes detailed script drafting and project packaging to enhance project strength for potential production success.

Development of the first draft script for a feature-length film.
Development of the second draft script for a feature-length film.
Development of the third draft script for a feature-length film.
Subsequent draft script development for a feature-length film.
Project packaging activities that enhance the project's marketability and readiness for production.

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The grant for the Development Program covers specific expenses incurred during the development stage of Canadian feature films.

Scriptwriting fees for first, second, third, or subsequent draft scripts.
Cost of developing a project package for potential investors or partners.
Consultation fees for script analysis and feedback from industry experts.
Legal fees associated with securing rights and licensing agreements.
Travel costs for meetings or consultations essential to project development.
Administrative expenses related directly to project development.
Costs for translation and adaptation services if needed.

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There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant:

Relevance of the project to the program's objectives and guidelines.
Viability of the project and potential for success in the marketplace.
Diversity considerations and inclusivity.

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Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

The application process is facilitated through the Dialogue platform.
A Springboard Initiative is available for projects that were unsuccessful under the Production Program but were ranked highly.
Updated guidelines and essential information guides have specific dates for their release; review the latest versions.
IT support for application issues is available on business days until 5:00 pm EST during the application period.
There are different streams within the program, including a Prequalified Stream and specific streams for Indigenous and Black and People of Colour applicants.