Results in the Canadian Television Fund’s much-anticipated Licence Fee Program sweepstakes, announced mid-March, show that although more producers are dialing for dollars, more are also cashing in.

Despite increased demand in each of the three categories being considered in this first funding round in 2001, the LFP funded all drama applicants in both English and French funding envelopes, and all English variety/performing arts applicants. Because LFP monies for children’s programming are given out on two occasions during the year, with 70% allocated in the spring round and 30% in the fall, not all children’s applications were approved.

(The LFP, administered by the Canadian Television Fund, provides a base top-up contribution of 13% of the total production budget, subject to certain caps. The formula varies in such cases as big-budget, English-language, one-hour dramas, and there is a range of bonuses for specific regional shoots and for small- and medium-sized production companies.)

Those hoping to see more evidence of definitive English-language culture may be happy to note a 31.6% increase, compared with last year, in dollars requested for English variety/performing arts productions. The LFP received 18 applications asking for $1.9 million and all were met. On the other hand, French cultural promoters are still much more keen, with demand up 43.2% for money to support variety/performing arts programs; that is, a whopping 52 applications requesting $7.4 million, of which $4.2 million worth were approved.

Although the CRTC’s 1999 television policy nixed requirements for minimum Cancon spending by broadcasters – and offered a 125% bonus to programming receiving six to nine Cancon points – demand for support in drama production was still up. There was 7.1% more demand on the English envelope and 12.5% more against the French. It remains to be seen whether more drama production will result in higher quality productions overall.

For English drama, more than $48 million was committed to 60 projects. Of these, 18 are CBC productions, 13 are partnered with CTV, 11 with The Comedy Network, five are for Global and the remainder is split among specialty and pay services such as Showcase, History, TMN-The Movie Network and Chum Television.

Interestingly, several new English drama productions that have so far kept a low publicity profile have cleared the $2-million mark in LFP funding. Shaftesbury Films of Toronto has scored $2.28 million for 13 episodes of The Aladdin Project for CTV. Tom Stone Productions (Bradshaw MacLeod & Associates/Alberta Filmworks) of Calgary has landed $2.88 million for 13 episodes of Tom Stone for CBC. A more frequently discussed title is The Ride, a 13 x 60 series from Cambium Entertainment for Showcase, which has secured $2.28 million. The movie of the same name debuted very successfully on Showcase earlier this season.

On the French side, new projects attracting major funding include:

* Samuel, a four-part series for Radio-Canada from Production Grana of New Brunswick, pulling down $1.3 million;

* Jean Duceppe, homme de theatre from Productions Videofilms in Montreal, which has been granted $1.08 million for its six parts for Tele-Quebec;

* Music Hall, with six episodes to be produced by Aetios Productions of Montreal with $1.25 million worth of help from the LFP;

* Les poupees russes will come courtesy JPL Productions of Montreal and the LFP will kick in $1.16 million towards the project for TVA;

* Les enfants de la terre will consist of 13 episodes for TFO from Les Productions R. Charbonneau of Ottawa, and the LFP will contribute $1.05 million; and,

* Le monde du Boucher, from Telefiction of Montreal, is receiving $1.05 million for 20 episodes for Radio-Canada.

Other noteworthy new projects receiving LFP funding are: a.k.a. (The Albert Walker Story) from Toronto’s Stage Name Productions for CTV; Another Country: A North of 60 Mystery from Calgary’s Alberta Filmworks Movie Four for CBC; Toronto-based Back Alley Film Productions’ new 13-part series Exposed, for Showcase; and How I Survived Fourth Grade from Chester, NS-based Big Motion Pictures for Global.

New seasons of Big Sound, Blackfly, Blue Murder, Cold Squad, DaVinci’s Inquest, Edgemont, Liography and This Hour Has 22 Minutes (heading for its ninth season) have also been funded.

Popular returning series on the French side include dramas Catherine, Delirium, Emma, Fortier, Histoires de filles, Lance et compte, Watatatow (season 11!), Un gars, une fille, Le monde du Charlotte and Le retour.

Several producers are drawing from the LFP well for multiple drama series this funding round. Those with three or more productions/coproductions include: Barna-Alper Productions with three (Blue Murder II for Global, DaVinci’s Inquest IV for CBC and a first season of Free Riders for YTV); Salter Street Films with five (Blackfly II for Global, Made In Canada IV for CBC, The Itch II for Comedy, 22 Minutes IX for CBC and What Rhymes With Canuck I for CBC); Match-TV with three, all for TVA (Cauchemar d’amour I, Histoires de filles IV, Max & Cie I); and JPL Productions with three, all for TVA (Le retour VI, Les parfaits I, Les poupees russes I).

On the children’s side, just under $16 million has been committed to 28 English projects, split up primarily among Family Channel, YTV and Teletoon.

For les enfants francophones, $5.3 million has been allotted to 10 productions, of $6.6 million requested. French projects garnering serious bucks include 100 eps of Ayoye from Telefiction ($1.22 million for Radio-Canada) and 100 eps of 13+ from Vivaclic of Montreal for Tele-Quebec.

For anglophone bambini, the most money, $2.2 million, is going towards 26 eps of Amberwood’s Hoze Houndz for Family. New kids series collecting big include Degrassi: The Next Generation ($1.3 million), 13 episodes from Epitome Pictures for CTV, and interestingly not for CBC, which championed the title’s previous incarnations; 26 episodes of King, produced by Funbag Animation of Ottawa ($1.4 million, for Family); a third cycle of Mentors from Regina’s Minds Eye ($1.17 million, for Family) and CineGroupe’s first 26 eps of The Three Pigs, for Teletoon ($1.07 million). *

-www.canadiantelevisionfund.ca