Closed
Last Update: May 28, 2026
Funding available
$ 400,000 - $ 500,000
Timeline
- Open Date : March 19, 2024
- Closing date : April 11, 2024
Location
Quebec, Canada
Overview
The Theatrical Documentary Program supports Canadian feature-length documentary projects in production and post-production. It provides financing for theatrical documentary films and related project costs, with support also available to Indigenous Stream projects.
/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
Timeline
- Open Date : March 19, 2024
- Closing date : April 11, 2024
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
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
- Application form in Dialogue.
- List of required documents.
- Guidelines and Essential Information Guide.
- Supporting documents listed by Telefilm.
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Canadian audiovisual production companies.
- Companies with a head office in Canada.
- Companies carrying out activities in Canada.
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, and production readiness.
- Track record of the key creative personnel.
- Project viability and financial feasibility.
- Theatrical potential, cultural impact, and audience reach potential.
- Diversity of voices and Canadian point of view.
How to apply
1
Preparation of documents
- Carefully read the essential information guide and the program guidelines.
- Gather all the required documents listed in the corresponding section of the program.
- Develop a public engagement and discoverability plan.
- Complete the standard budget template and prepare the production sustainability plan.
- Ensure that your project meets the Canadian content requirements.
2
Creation of an account on Dialogue
Create an account or log in to the online platform Dialogue from Telefilm Canada.
3
Submission of the request
- Carefully fill out the online application form on Dialogue.
- Upload all required documents through the platform before the deadline set.
- Ensure that all information is complete and accurate before submitting.
4
Confirmation of receipt
- Receive a submission confirmation from Telefilm Canada.
- Keep this confirmation for your records and potential follow-up.
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.
Additional information
- Applications must be submitted through Dialogue.
- Incomplete applications may get five business days to provide missing documents.
- IT support is available on business days until 5:00 pm EST.
- Projects funded must meet Telefilm’s theatrical release and official-language availability requirements.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Theatrical documentary program Program
What is the Theatrical documentary program?
The Theatrical Documentary Program supports Canadian feature-length documentary projects in production and post-production. It provides financing for theatrical documentary films and related project costs, with support also available to Indigenous Stream projects.
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 11, 2024.
Who is eligible for the Theatrical documentary program program?
To be eligible for the Theatrical documentary program program, you must:
Canadian-controlled corporation
Head office and activity in Canada
Audiovisual production company
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.