Production program — English market budgets under $3.5M

• Most Recent Script; Summary of Changes to Script, for production applications submitted more than once.
• Rough Cut (or equivalent before Picture Lock); Creative Completion Plan, for post-production applications only.
• Director’s Vision and Intentions; Previous Work of Director(s), if applicable; Track Record Summary for all Producers, Directors and Screenwriters.
• Audience Engagement and Discoverability Plan; Financing Plan; Details of All Confirmed and Projected Financing; Production Budget; Description of Chain of Title; Declaration of Canadian Status of Corporation and Corporate Information.
• Firm Commitment from a Canadian Distributor when the production budget is $3.5M or more or a distributor is attached; International Coproduction Agreement(s) for minority coproductions with a Canadian share of 30% or less; Declaration Regarding OLMC-Produced Projects; Declaration Regarding Projects Submitted to the Indigenous Stream; Community Engagement Plan; Up-to-date interim cost report for post-production applications.

Who is eligible?

• Canadian audiovisual production companies
• Broadcaster-affiliated production companies based outside Quebec that meet the basic eligibility criteria

Who is not eligible

• Individuals

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Projects done on contract for, or produced by, a government agency, or produced primarily for industrial, corporate or institutional purposes
• Advertising, student projects, and projects using film as a tool to record or document existing artworks
• Documentary or non-fiction projects
• Conventional forms of television entertainment, such as pilots, movies-of-the-week, and news reports
• Projects not destined for a theatrical or festival audience

• Creative Elements: 50 points for projects under $3.5M, 40 points for projects of $3.5M or more, and 20 points for minority coproductions with a Canadian share of 30% or less.
• Track Record of the Key Creative Personnel (Producer(s), Director(s), Screenwriter(s)): 10 points for projects under $3.5M, 20 points for projects of $3.5M or more, and 25 points for minority coproductions with a Canadian share of 30% or less.
• Project Viability: 20 points for projects under $3.5M, 20 points for projects of $3.5M or more, and 35 points for minority coproductions with a Canadian share of 30% or less.
• Cultural Impact and Audience Reach Potential: 20 points for all three categories.
• The decision-making process considers diversity of voices and a balanced portfolio of productions reflecting a variety of genres, budgets and company sizes, regions across the country, and different viewpoints. Telefilm may prioritize projects whose key creative personnel are Indigenous, Black people, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, Gender-diverse identities and expressions, Persons with disabilities, or Members of Official Language Minority Communities; gender parity remains a priority and intersectionality is considered.

• Complete the online application form and upload the required documents using Dialogue.
• For treaty coproduction recommendations, file the application separately at the earliest of 40% of the financing confirmed (exclusive of tax credits) or after an offer of financing from Telefilm has been received, and in all cases no later than 30 days before the start of principal photography; 60 days for coproductions with Poland, Hungary or Hong Kong.
• If the application is incomplete, submit the missing documentation within five business days of the notice.

• Provided the applications are complete, Telefilm aims to make funding decisions on production financing requests within 80 business days of the closing date.
• Applicants with incomplete files will be notified and given five business days to submit missing documentation.
• Documentation submitted after the application form, or after the notice period for incomplete files, may not be considered in the decision-making process.
• Telefilm may request additional information at any time.

• It is recommended to contact your Feature Film Executive before submitting, especially if you are a first-time applicant or if Telefilm is not yet aware of your project.
• IT support is only available on business days until 5:00 pm EST.