Three months behind its launch, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund has spent more than $2 million on 12 tv programs twinned with a multimedia component.
Projects receiving funding in 1997 were Empire Of The Bay, produced by Jennifer Puncher and Michael Levine, Exploration Productions’ exn:tv, Breakthrough Film and Television’s It Seems Like Yesterday, Devine Entertainment’s The Inventors, Epitome Pictures’ Riverdale, White Pine Pictures’ A Scattering Of Seeds: The Creation of Canada, BC Pictures’ Timeless Places, Ultramagnetic Productions’ Xanadu: In Search Of Domestic Perfection, Productions Pixcom’s Insectia, In Extremis Images’ No, Virgo’s Parent’s Inc., and Cinema 3180 b.e.’s La Diva.
To spread the $5 million available in 1998 among the highest quality projects greenlit throughout the year, the first-come-first-served evaluation process has been changed to four application deadline dates. Outside consultants will assess and prioritize applications based on an evaluation of the creative, business, financial, technical and marketing aspects of the new media project.
The Bell Fund provides a licence fee top-up of 50% of the total Canadian broadcast licence fee. The broadcast cap, previously set at $100,000 per project, has been reduced to $75,000 for 1998 to funnel more funding into the new media component. The grant of 50% of production costs of the new media component remains unchanged at a $250,000 per project limit.
To encourage cross-promotion between the new media and television components, broadcasters will now have to provide a written endorsement of the new media project and commit to promotion and marketing support.
Eligible producers must have head offices in Ontario or Quebec. Projects must include a broadcast and new media component and have broadcast licence commitments from a Canadian broadcaster.
Application deadlines are Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1 and Nov. 1. Funding will be awarded within four to six weeks of the application dates.