Following are the key Manitoba funding and investment sources available for Canadian independent film and television program development, production and/or distribution.

CITYTV PRAIRIE BRIDGE FINANCE PROGRAM
Launched in October 2005 the Citytv Prairie Bridge Finance Program provides recoupable loans for Rogers Television-supported projects. The program provides $500,000 in total to Alberta- and Manitoba-based production companies. As loans are repaid, monies will revolve and be made available to assist new projects.
Criteria: Applicant companies must be owned and controlled by residents of either Alberta or Manitoba. Eligible companies can access up to $50,000 per film or television project. A producer group (defined as a group of production companies controlled by one or more of the same individuals) will be limited to two separate loans at a time.
Loans must be repaid within two years, and are not available to international or interprovincial coproductions, or projects with bank financing.
Contact:
Alain Strati
Tel: (416) 764-3230
1-888-260-0047 (toll free)
www.citytv.com

MANITOBA ARTS COUNCIL
The Manitoba Arts Council is an arm’s-length agency of the provincial government dedicated to artistic excellence. The council uses peer assessment as the cornerstone of the granting process.
Development $$$: The Film/Video Script Development Grant offers up to $6,000 to aid in the research/creation of scripts or may be used as a living allowance (up to $2,000 per month).
Production $$$: The Film/Video Project Grant offers up to $6,000 for a range of development- and production-related costs.
The Film/Video Production Grant offers up to $20,000, which may be applied to any aspect of production or post-production.
Travel/Professional Development $$$: The Travel/PD Grant offers a grant of up to $1,500 to assist with activities of short duration that contribute to professional, artistic development.
Criteria: The main criterion used to award grants is artistic merit. Applicant must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and have been a Manitoba resident for at least 12 months prior to the deadline date to which they submit an application.
They must also be fully independent creator/directors having full control over all aspects of the creation/production of the work for which they are seeking a grant.
Only Manitoba directors and writers are eligible to apply.
Eligible projects: Dramas, documentaries, animation and experimental films and videos.
Ineligible are TV pilots, instructional, promotional and industrial films and music videos.
Best bets: Artistic and innovative projects without an educational or commercial motivation.
Contact: Marian Butler, program consultant, visual arts/film/video
Tel: (204) 945-0399
1-866-994-2787 (in Manitoba)
mbutler@artscouncil.mb.ca
www.artscouncil.mb.ca

MANITOBA FILM AND MUSIC RECORDING DEVELOPMENT CORP.
Development $$$: Through the Market Driven Development Financing Program, a development loan (to be repaid on the first day of principal photography) is committed according to the following phases:
1. Concept to fully developed treatment: up to 50% of approved eligible costs, capped at $5,000 for television and $7,500 for feature film.
2. Treatment to first-draft screenplay: up to 50% of approved eligible costs to a maximum of $10,000 for television and $12,000 for feature film.
3. First-draft screenplay to final-draft screenplay: up to 50% of approved eligible costs, dependent upon the amount accessed in other phases as total development financing. Has maximums based on project genre, category, and length.
Total development financing for television cannot exceed $25,000 for one project, $30,000 for two projects, and $40,000 for three projects or more.
Total development financing for feature films cannot exceed $35,000 for one project, $40,000 for two projects, and $45,000 for three projects or more.
Criteria: Applicants must have confirmed funding in place from a third-party source. A broadcaster’s cash commitment of 20% of the budget for the development of the project is required for TV or a strong letter of interest from a distributor for feature film (other funders such as Telefilm Canada may be acceptable).
When the writer is part of the production company applying, 50% of the writer’s fee must be deferred until the first day of principal photography. Where there is a cash contribution from a third-party broadcaster or distributor, no writer deferral is required.
Production $$$: Under the Production Financing Program, MF&M will assist in the financing of fully developed features and TV programs through equity investments. Investment in any production will not normally exceed the lesser of 20% of the total production budget or 30% of the Manitoba expenditures in the budget.
Dramatic series are capped at $750,000 (depending on number of episodes); theatrical features and MOWs at $400,000; and docs at $100,000.
Eligible projects: Drama, children’s programming, docs, animation and variety.
Other $$$: The Emerging Talent Matching Fund provides an equity investment for entry-level filmmakers who have received a production funding award (through a competitive process) from another industry-recognized organization not funded by MF&M.
MF&M will match the award up to the lesser of 50% of the project’s total budget or $10,000.
Deadlines:
• TV production financing – check website for updates
• Feature film production financing and Emerging Talent Matching Fund – none
Opps for outside producers: Applicants must be Manitoba residents or companies with a head office in Manitoba. Domestic and foreign coproductions qualify, provided the Manitoba producer has an equitable share in corporate control, copyright, management, and creative decision-making proportionate to the number of partners and/or to the amount of Manitoba investment in the project.
Contact: Sebastien Nasse, senior analyst, film, television, and tax credits
Tel: (204) 947-2040 x23
sebastien@mbfilmmusic.ca
www.mbfilmmusic.ca
www.mbfilmsound.ca

MANITOBA FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT
The MFVPTC provides production companies with a tax credit of up to 65% on eligible Manitoba labor expenditures (45% base credit plus three bonuses of 5%, 5%, and 10%).
Criteria: Applicants must have a permanent establishment in Manitoba, be incorporated in Canada, and be a taxable Canadian corporation that primarily carries on the business of film and video production.
A minimum 25% of the corporation’s ‘T4’able’ employee salaries and wages must be paid to eligible Manitoba employees for work performed in Manitoba (must have a minimum of one ‘T4’able’ employee on the payroll to meet this requirement). Non-Manitoba companies that don’t meet this requirement can easily meet it by incorporating a single-purpose company for the Manitoba portion of their project.
Frequent-filming bonus: The frequent-filming bonus increases the tax credit by 10% on the third film shot within a two-year period. Keep the 10% bonus on subsequent projects by maintaining production activity so that there are always three films in any two-year period.
Rural and northern bonus: Qualify for the 5% rural bonus when at least 50% of the Manitoba production days take place at least 35 kilometers from Winnipeg’s center.
Manitoba producer bonus: Qualify for the 5% Manitoba producer bonus when a Manitoba resident receives a screen credit as a producer, coproducer, or executive producer.
Deeming: When there is no willing, available, and qualified Manitoban to fill a position, a non-resident’s salary may qualify for the tax credit as long as for each non-resident there is one Manitoba resident receiving training on the production.
Eligible non-resident salaries are capped at 30% of total eligible Manitoba labor expenditures if at least two Manitoba residents are trained per non-resident, and capped at 10% if one Manitoba resident is trained per non-resident.
Eligible projects: Fully financed TV movies, docs, features, dramatic series, animation, children’s programming, music programming, informational series, variety, multimedia, digital and CD-ROM productions.
Opps for outside producers: Coproductions qualify. There are no Canada or Manitoba content requirements, no copyright ownership requirements, no application fees, no minimum spend requirements, and no annual or corporate caps. The more spent in Manitoba labor, the higher the tax credit will be.
Contact: Sebastien Nasse, senior analyst, film, television, and tax credits
Tel: (204) 947-2040 x23
sebastien@mbfilmmusic.ca
www.mbfilmmusic.ca
www.mbfilmsound.ca