Closed
Source verified May 28, 2026
Theatrical documentary program
Funding for Canadian documentary films
Latest source updateLast Update: April 30, 2026Latest change: The program dates were moved to 2026-27, and the distribution terms document was updated.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: April 30, 2026
Latest change: The program dates were moved to 2026-27, and the distribution terms document was updated.
Theatrical Documentary Program updated for 2026-27
The Theatrical Documentary Program now reflects the 2026-27 intake, with opening and closing dates moved to March 19 to April 2, 2026. The latest updates section also adds a new April 28, 2026 change to the Distribution Terms & Contracts Requirements document. The main application pathway, contact details, and overall program scope remain the same, but some supporting documents and references have been refreshed.
Funding available
$ 400,000 - $ 500,000
Deadline
April 2, 2026
Opened March 19, 2026
Location
Quebec, Canada
Overview
Programme pour le long métrage documentaire soutient la production et la postproduction de longs métrages documentaires canadiens. Téléfilm Canada finance des projets susceptibles de susciter l’intérêt des auditoires, notamment en termes de recettes-guichet, de prix ou de sélections à des festivals internationaux.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Access new markets
- Launch or market a product/service
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 500,000 $
- Minimum amount : 400,000 $
- Up to 49% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Quebec
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with Disabilities
- Language Minorities
- Other Racialized Persons
- Black Canadians
- 2SLGBTQI+
- Canadians
- Women
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Production of feature-length documentary films.
- Post-production of feature-length documentary films.
- Indigenous Stream projects created, owned, and controlled by Indigenous filmmakers.
Documents Needed
- List of required documents.
- Guidelines.
- Essential Information Guide.
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Canadian audiovisual production companies.
Who is not eligible
- Projects produced primarily for industrial, corporate, or institutional purposes.
- Advertising projects.
- Student projects.
- Projects not destined for a theatrical or festival audience.
- Projects intended primarily for television or video markets.
Eligible expenses
- Eligible Canadian production costs.
- Eligible Canadian post-production costs.
- Encoding, closed captioning, subtitling, dubbing, and video description costs.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Projects done on contract for a government agency.
- Projects produced primarily for industrial, corporate, or institutional purposes.
- Advertising projects.
- Student projects.
- Projects intended primarily for television or video audiences.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Selection criteria
- Creative elements, including originality, quality of research, cinematic and narrative potential, and director’s vision.
- Track record of the key creative personnel.
- Project viability.
- Potential for success in theatres, cultural impact, and audience reach.
How to apply
- Step 1: Review program materials
- Read the Guidelines and Essential Information Guide.
- Check the List of Required Documents.
- Step 2: Prepare the application
- Complete the online application form in Dialogue.
- Upload all required documents with the application.
- Step 3: Submit in Dialogue
- Submit the application online through Dialogue.
- Provide any missing documents within five business days if your file is incomplete.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed by advisory committees.
- Eligible projects are scored using an evaluation grid and ranked by priority.
- Telefilm makes the final decision based on the recommendations.
- Applicants are notified if their file is incomplete and may have five business days to provide missing documents.
- If approved, funding terms are set out in a contract before financing is paid.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Theatrical documentary program Program
What is the Theatrical documentary program?
Programme pour le long métrage documentaire soutient la production et la postproduction de longs métrages documentaires canadiens. Téléfilm Canada finance des projets susceptibles de susciter l’intérêt des auditoires, notamment en termes de recettes-guichet, de prix ou de sélections à des festivals internationaux.
How much funding can be received?
Theatrical documentary program Funds up to 49% of admissible expenses, capped at $500,000 per project.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was April 2, 2026.
Who is eligible for the Theatrical documentary program program?
To be eligible for the Theatrical documentary program program, you must:
The applicant must be a Canadian-controlled corporation.
The applicant must have its head office in Canada and carry out activities in Canada.
The project must be a feature-length documentary.
What expenses are eligible under Theatrical documentary program?
Production of feature-length documentary films.
Post-production of feature-length documentary films.
Indigenous Stream projects created, owned, and controlled by Indigenous filmmakers.
Who can I contact for more information about the Theatrical documentary program?
You can contact Telefilm Canada by email at coordination@telefilm.ca or by phone at 438-806-4865.
Where is the Theatrical documentary program available?
The Theatrical documentary program program is available the province of Quebec.