The following is the 2008 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:
1-877-232-2269 (toll free)
fax: 1-877-329-9232
www.bdc.ca

CANADA FILM CAPITAL
Canada Film Capital has been a leading provider of tax credit administration and financing services to Canadian, U.S. and foreign producers since 1997. CFC’s accounting, legal and financing expertise provides producers with effortless access to tax credit funds across Canada.
Contacts:
• David Carter, president
(416) 927-2227
dcarter@canadafilmcapital.com
• Jennifer Liscio, corporate counsel
(416) 927-2225
jliscio@canadafilmcapital.com
www.canadafilmcapital.com

CIBC COMMERCIAL BANKING
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: Russell Zirnhelt, manager
(604) 665-1313
fax (604) 665-1144
russell.zirnhelt@cibc.com

CUSTOM HOUSE
Custom House is the largest independent global payments 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:
1-866-283-2957 (toll free)
fax (613) 237-2690
export@edc.ca
www.edc.ca

GLOBAL INCENTIVES
Global Incentives is a world leader in providing administrative services for tax credits and production rebates, and for international treaty copro certification. Global offers complete handling of all tax-credit applications, from incorporation of the production company to receipt of the cheque, and can facilitate interim finance tax-credit refunds. Global 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) 595-6300
www.globalincentivesinc.com

HSBC BANK CANADA
Speak to our experienced representatives about feature film and TV financing. HSBC Bank Canada also offers a variety of deposit instruments, commercial accounts and foreign exchange services.
Contact: Morris Gluck
(416) 868-8199
morris_gluck@hsbc.ca

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:
• Special production credit.
• Financing of tax credits and national and international presales.
• Line of credit.
• Foreign exchange products.
• Factoring.
• Syndicated transactions.
• Gap financing (with partners).
Contacts:
Toronto:
• Sonia Morris (416) 864-7792
sonia.morris@bnc.ca
• Charlene Paling (416) 864-7768
charlene.paling@bnc.ca
• Anne Schneerer (416) 864-7563
anne.schneerer@bnc.ca
• Catherine Kunz (416) 864-7751
catherine.kunz@bnc.ca
• John Griffith (416) 865-6775
john.griffith@bnc.ca
fax (416) 864-0849
1-866-532-3456 (toll free)
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
• Carole Lessard (514) 394-8226
carolec.lessard@bnc.ca
• Edith Courchesne (514) 394-4250
edith.courchesne@bnc.ca
• Renée Grégoire (514) 394-8976
renee.gregoire@bnc.ca
• Julie Prud’homme (514) 394-8704
julie.prudhomme@bnc.ca
• Étienne Julien (514) 394-6517
etienne.julien@bnc.ca
• Dominique Champagne (514) 394-8559
dominique.champagne@bnc.ca
• Martin Larocque (514) 394-4152
martin.larocque@bnc.ca
• Hani Beitinjaneh (514) 394-4302
hani.beitinjaneh@bnc.ca
fax (514) 394-9538
1-866-827-3456 (toll free)
www.bnc.ca/cinema
Vancouver:
• Charlene Paling
(416) 864-7768
charlene.paling@bnc.ca
1-866-786-6843 (toll free)
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
• Prairies: Leanne Harry
(604) 684-4986
• 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

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
U.S. Bank’s Entertainment Industries Group offers financial solutions for leading producers in the entertainment industry in the U.S. and Canada.
U.S. Bank specializes in both film and television project financing, including production financing for feature motion pictures, episodic series, miniseries and MOWs. Production financing product includes the monetization of minimum guarantees from distributors or broadcasters worldwide, U.S. state and Canadian tax credits and other subsidies, as well as gap financing.
Products and services include treasury management, foreign exchange, deposit, trust, and payment services. It also provides acquisition financing for film and television libraries and working capital lines of credit.
Contact:David K. Henry, senior vice-president
(213) 615-6649
fax (213) 615-6797
david.henry@ubank.com
www.usbank.com