Production program — English market budgets of $3.5M+
Last Update: January 24, 2025
Canada
Financing for high-budget English-language feature films
Production program — English market budgets of $3.5M+ at a glance
Eligible Funding
- Max. $4,000,000
- Up to 39% of project cost
Timeline
- Open Date : June 4, 2024
- Closing date : June 19, 2024
Financing Type
Loans and Capital investments
Eligible Industries
- Information and cultural industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
Grant Providers
- Telefilm Canada
- Government of Canada
Status
Closed
Overview of the Production program — English market budgets of $3.5M+ program
Get a repayable advance or a repayable equity investment of up to $4 million to cover up to 30% of the production or post-production costs for a primarily English-language feature-length fictional film.
Eligible projects & activities
This grant is available to companies that are headquartered and carry out their activities in Canada. All applicants must be Canadian audiovisual production companies.
- Companies with their head office in Canada.
- Entities conducting activities within Canada.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 1,500,000
Post-production of a science fiction film set
$ 36,000
Development of a romantic comedy script based
$ 75,000
Script development for a historical drama set
$ 3,000,000
Production of an English-language feature film depicting a historic event
$ 1,800,000
Post-production of an animated feature film set
$ 900,000
Production of a documentary on Arctic wildlife
Eligibility criteria of the Production program — English market budgets of $3.5M+ program
Eligibility for the Production Program grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's corporate status and activities.
- The applicant must be a Canadian audiovisual production company.
- The company's head office must be located in Canada.
- The company's activities must be carried out in Canada.
Who is eligible?
Canadian audiovisual production companies that have their head office in Canada and carry out their activities in Canada.
Eligible expenses
The Production Program provides funding support for Canadian feature films during production or post-production stages, enhancing the Canadian film industry by aiding in the completion and quality of films. This program includes support for both high-budget and low-budget projects across various categories and languages.
- Production of English-language feature films with budgets of $3.5 million or more.
- Production of French-language feature films with confirmed funding structures of 60% or more at all budget levels.
- English-language feature films with budgets under $3.5 million, including international coproductions.
- French-language feature films with budgets under $3.5 million, including international coproductions.
- Indigenous streams in all languages and at all budget levels.
- English-language international minority coproductions and post-production applications at all budget levels.
- French-language international minority coproductions and post-production applications at all budget levels.
- Feature films with obligations to include sustainability measures, such as using a carbon calculator for productions with budgets of $3.5 million or higher.
Eligibility criteria of the Production program — English market budgets of $3.5M+ program
There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant. The criteria are as follows:
- Canadian Content
- Quality and commercial potential of the project
- Experience and track record of the key creative team
- Financial structure and market interest
- Market potential and audience development
- Sustainability and diversity
How to apply to the Production program — English market budgets of $3.5M+ program
1
Preliminary Assessment
- Ensure your project is eligible based on the guidelines and criteria specified for the Production Program.
- Decide on the type of financial participation (non-repayable contribution or repayable investment).
2
Prepare Application Documentation
- Gather all necessary documents such as the Standard Budget Template, Production Sustainability Plan, and Declarations.
- Prepare project-specific documents like the Script, Synopsis, and Track Record for Producers, Directors, and Screenwriters.
- Draft the Exploitation Report Template and Audience Reach/Promotional Strategy.
3
Register and Access Dialogue
- Create an account on the Dialogue platform if you do not have one.
- Log in to access the online application form for the Production Program.
4
Complete the Application Form
- Fill out the application form with relevant project details and financial information.
- Upload all required documents to support your application.
- Double-check all information provided for accuracy and completeness.
5
Submit Application
- Ensure that the application is submitted within the designated opening and closing periods.
- Click 'Submit' on the Dialogue platform to send your application for review.
6
Confirmation of Submission
- Receive a confirmation email verifying successful submission of your application.
- Keep the confirmation email and provided application number for future reference.
Additional information
Here are additional relevant details for this grant:
- Projects may be submitted only once per fiscal year, except for French-language projects with at least 60% confirmed financial structure.
- For productions with budgets of $3.5 million or more, a carbon footprint report is required to be submitted at final costs.
- Minority coproductions with Telefilm’s financial participation not exceeding $500,000 may choose between a non-repayable contribution or a repayable investment.
- Post-production applications also have the option of a non-repayable contribution or a repayable investment.
- Changes to greenlight financing terms and conditions have been implemented.
- A carbon calculator is mandatory for productions with high budgets to calculate greenhouse gas emissions.
- The contingency reserve requirement has increased from 6% to 8%.
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