The following is the 2007 edition of Playback’s annual digest of key financial services available to the Canadian independent film and television production industry.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA
The Business Development Bank of Canada is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC plays a leadership role in delivering financial, investment and consulting services to Canadian businesses (including businesses operating in the cultural industries), with a particular focus on the technology and export sectors of the economy.
Contact: Toll free: 1-877-232-2269; fax: 1-877-329-9232
www.bdc.ca

CANADA FILM CAPITAL
Canada Film Capital provides financing and administration services of the Production Services Tax Credit to eligible production companies. Established in 1997, CFC has processed over 300 applications representing more than $400 million in tax credits to productions Canada-wide.
Contacts:
• David Carter, president
(416) 927-2227
dcarter@canadafilmcapital.com
• Jennifer Liscio, corporate counsel
(416) 927-2225
jliscio@canadafilmcapital.com
• Robert Dobier, senior vice-president, marketing & sales
(416) 927-2210
rdobier@canadafilmcapital.com
www.canadafilmcapital.com

CIBC WORLD MARKETS
CIBC Commercial Banking provides both corporate and commercial banking services for leaders in the entertainment industry, including interim financing for film and television projects. CIBC finances creditworthy commitments, including federal and provincial tax credits, public and private funding programs, and domestic and international broadcast licences and distribution guarantees.
CIBC is a full-service North American financial institution with branches and offices across Canada and around the world.
Contact: Benjamin Rappaport (604) 665-1313; fax (604) 482-4657; benjamin.rappaport@cibc.com

CUSTOM HOUSE
Custom House is the largest independent foreign exchange company in North America, providing customized foreign exchange solutions tailored to the international entertainment industry.
Custom House helps customers make payments in multiple currencies to multiple beneficiaries, facilitates international fund transfers, and allows customers to control the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on production budgets.
Custom House deals in more than 100 currencies and is a leader in regulatory compliance in all countries of operation.
Contact: Brent Clackson (604) 805-4836; bclackson@customhouse.com
www.customhouse.com

EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA
EDC provides trade finance and risk-management services to Canadian exporters and investors in up to 200 markets. Founded in 1944, EDC is a Crown corporation that operates as a commercial financial institution.
EDC can support the export of Canadian film and television productions and related services through a range of financing and insurance solutions.
Contact: (613) 598-2500; toll free: 1-866-574-0451; fax: (613) 237-2690; export@edc.ca
www.edc.ca

GROSVENOR PARK
Grosvenor Park Productions is a film production finance company. It provides a worldwide one-stop solution to the film industry for the complete range of coproduction services required for film producers to maximize the contribution to qualifying film budgets from incentives provided by international governments to foster the development of the film industry in their countries. The coproduction service offering includes: structuring, financing, production, post-production, delivery and certification.
Contact: (416) 926-1815
www.grosvenorpark.com

HSBC BANK CANADA
HSBC Bank Canada offers feature film and television financing. HSBC also offers a variety of deposit instruments, commercial accounts and foreign exchange services.
Contacts:
• Toronto:
Morris Gluck (416) 868-8199
• Halifax:
Jason Lang (902) 490-2722
• Montreal:
Alexandre Fradette (514) 286-5349
• Vancouver:
Bill Dehaan (604) 641-2561

INDEPENDENT FILM FINANCING
IFF (a division of Axium Entertainment Services) is a world leader in providing administrative services for tax credits and production rebates and international treaty copro certification. IFF offers complete handling of all tax credit applications, from incorporation of the production company to receipt of the cheque, and can interim finance projected tax credit rebates. IFF also works closely with lenders, providing estimates of the tax credits and giving banks the confidence to cashflow the production.
Contacts:
Laura Polley, president; Len Pendergast, vice-president (416) 598-3270
www.iff.ca

INTERNATIONAL COPRODUCTION FUNDING
Specializes in seeking out and finding international coproduction funding for Canadian film producers. Particular emphasis is on the U.K.
Criteria: Script needs to be well developed. Budgets should be more than $2 million.
Eligible projects: Dramatic films. Documentaries do not qualify.
Contact: Sandy Mackay-Smith, president, (819) 671-9319; macsmith@attglobal.net

NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA
The National Bank’s TV and Motion Picture Group specializes in financing film projects and television series, offering a complete range of made-to-measure banking products and services to the Canadian film and television production and distribution industry. In addition to producers and distributors, clientele includes post-production, special effects and equipment leasing companies, as well as studios.
Flexible, customized loan and service programs include:
• Line of credit
• Special production credit
• Financing of tax credits and national and international presales
• Gap financing (with Financière des entreprises culturelles [FIDEC] support). National Bank partners with FIDEC to support productions destined for international distribution.
Contacts:
Toronto:
• Clare Cockell (416) 864-7795
clare.cockell@bnc.ca
• Anne Schneerer (416) 864-7563
anne.schneerer@bnc.ca
• Sonia Morris (416) 864-7792
sonia.morris@bnc.ca
• Charlene Paling (416) 864-7768
charlene.paling@bnc.ca
• Catherine Kunz (416) 864-7751
Catherine.kunz@bnc.ca
Fax: (416) 864-0849
Toll free: 1-866-532-3456
www.nbc.ca/filmandtv
Montreal:
• Elaine Morissette (514) 394-8474
elaine.morissette@bnc.ca
• Michel Comeau (514) 394-8593
michel.comeau@bnc.ca
• Caroline Brault (514) 394-8477
caroline.brault@bnc.ca
• Edith Courchesne (514) 394-4250
edith.courchesne@bnc.ca
Fax: (514) 394-9538
Toll free: 1-866-827-3456
www.bnc.ca/cinema
Vancouver:
• Charlene Paling (416) 864-7768
charlene.paling@bnc.ca
Toll free: 1-866-786-6843
www.nbc.ca/filmandtv

RBC FINANCIAL GROUP
RBC Royal Bank’s National Media & Entertainment groups provide comprehensive financial services for film, television and digital media producers, distributors, broadcasters, music and industry-related companies. RBC offers production, operating and equipment loans as well as payment and deposit products designed for the entertainment sector.
The bank also provides advice on managing foreign exchange risk arising from foreign presales and coproduction activities, as well as letters of credit.
Contacts:
• Halifax:
Nan MacDonald (902) 421-8853
• Montreal:
Annie Baribeau (514) 874-2552
• Toronto:
Dan McMullen (416) 974-4680
• Winnipeg:
John Bogucki (204) 988-4227
• Vancouver:
John Genzel (604) 684-5706
RBC Capital Markets: RBC Capital Markets is a leading investment bank with a North American specialty focus on media and telecommunications.
Services include private placement of equity and debt, public equity and debt, bank credit and strategic and financial advice.
Contact: Dan Coholan (416) 842-7544