Following up on Heritage Minister Sheila Copps’ Oct. 5 announcement of the new Canadian Feature Film Fund (CF3) that will inject an additional $50 million into the film industry, Telefilm Canada has sent out letters to its industry client base outlining the breakdown of the initial $10.9 million to be issued in the current fiscal year (ended March 31, 2001).

After deducting administrative costs, $8.3 million will be administered within the framework of existing Telefilm programs including: $7.1 million for production and development injected into the Feature Film Fund; $1.1 million into the Distribution and Marketing Assistance Funds; and $100,000 for complementary programs, such as the Industrial and Professional Development Fund, festivals and markets.

Money allocated to new programs includes $1.7 million for the new financing program for low-budget films produced by independent producers, and $400,000 to the new scriptwriting assistance program.

One-third of the $7.1 million for feature films – or $2.4 million – will be allocated to French-language projects, but instead of soliciting new French-language production applications, Telefilm’s Quebec office will revisit applications it has already received for 2000/01.

The office has already received 62 French-language financing applications for the year, 13 of which it greenlit. In English, 15 applications were received, of which three were accepted.

Decisions from the Quebec office will be announced by Dec. 4, and a first deadline for French project apps for 2001/02 is anticipated for mid-January 2001.

For the remainder of the year, roughly 10% of the French-language production envelope or $300,000 has been allocated for feature film development. The submission deadline for development money is Nov. 20, and decisions will be known before Dec. 22.

Two-thirds of the $7.1 million or $4.7 million will be allocated to English-language feature film productions (including those coming out of Quebec) under Telefilm’s Feature Film Fund.

Up to 10% of the $4.7 million will go toward development activities.

Telefilm offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax will accept new apps for production financing until Nov. 20, and decisions are expected by Dec. 15.

At Playback press time, Telefilm was in the process of putting together a series of nation-wide consultations to develop guidelines for the new CF3. The consultations are expected to begin by the end of November. An announcement is pending. *

-www.telefilm.gc.ca