TVOntario and CBC Newsworld are making good on their promises to fund documentaries. And there are a lot of familar faces in their lineups.

TVO’s documentary film commissioner Rudy Buttignol has commissioned at least 11 projects to date. In addition to the five documentaries he announced last November, Buttignol has commissioned director Lyn Wright’s Of Mounties and Mermaids, a film about sexuality and censorship; Abby, I Hardly Knew Ya, Peter Raymont’s latest endevor about a filmmaker’s search for the derelict father she never knew; Jacques Holender’s Death Industry, a film about people whose work involves death; producer Glen Salzman and director Magnus Isacsson’s Great Whale project; Michael McMahon and brother/ director Kevin’s In the Reign of Twilight, a film about the impact of the cold war on the Inuit; and The Odyssey, Susan Fleming’s journey around the world to illustrate how different cultures and ideologies can change one’s views.

In commissioning for his series, Buttignol has stuck with the tried-and-true documentarians but says he is acquiring films from newcomers for his summer series.

Newsworld’s Jerry McIntosh has commissioned 13 projects with total budgets of $1.8 million for his new series Rough Cuts. Newsworld itself has contributed $845,000 of the $1.8 million.

Newsworld has also handed out $98,000 for the development of 25 projects. McIntosh is looking to commission projects for next October. Newsworld is prepared to commit between $50,000 and $75,000 for a 45-minute project. It will only allow for a second window if another broadcaster has put up money for production. Seed money for development is in the $3,000-$5,000 range per project.

In addition to commissioning projects, McIntosh is also acquiring 13 documentaries.

Some of the films in production this fiscal year include: Sylvia Sweeney’s documentary Finish Line, which uses the Ben Johnson experience as a metaphor for ailments of modern sport; Barbara Doran’s film When Women Kill, and Janice Dawe and Geoff Bowie’s Zero Tolerence, a film about Toronto prostitutes in conflict with vigilantes.

Albert Nirenberg and Arnie Gelbart are in development on a film about who’s killing Montreal’s gays.