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

FILM NOVA SCOTIA
Development $$$: Interest-free loans of up to one-third of the total development budget expended in Nova Scotia to a limit of $15,000, which must be repaid in full on the first day of principal photography or the transfer of the project to a third party. The development loan may be rolled into an equity investment.
Criteria: With the exception of feature film projects, Film Nova Scotia requires financial commitments from broadcasters.
Production $$$: Equity investments based on that portion of the production budget expended in Nova Scotia, capped at $300,000.
Criteria: Film Nova Scotia requires financial commitments from broadcasters for television projects.
Eligible projects: TV series, specials, and feature films.
Opps for outside producers: Coproductions are eligible, but applicants must be Nova Scotia-based production companies or residents of Nova Scotia for the previous 12 months.
Other $$$: The New Media Program provides financial assistance through equity investments for interactive productions that are related to a television or feature film project.
The Feature Film Distribution Assistance Program provides a recoupable advance to assist with the theatrical release costs of a Nova Scotia-produced feature film.
Deadlines: Feb. 6, May 1, Sept. 4, 2009
Contact: Linda Wood
Tel: (902) 424-7181
woodle@gov.ns.ca
www.filmnovascotia.com

NOVA SCOTIA FILM INDUSTRY TAX CREDIT
A fully refundable corporate income tax credit calculated as the lesser of 50% of eligible Nova Scotia labor or 25% of the total production costs for productions that occur in the Halifax region (‘Metro Halifax’), or the lesser of 60% of eligible Nova Scotia labor or 30% of total production costs for productions that occur outside a 30-kilometer radius from the city core. The tax credit is the same for both domestic and service projects.
A frequent-filming bonus of 5% of eligible Nova Scotia labor is available if a third film commences principal photography within a two-year period. The principal owner for each of the three films must be the same person or group of persons.
Foreign productions are eligible, but production companies applying for the tax credit must have a permanent establishment in Nova Scotia and be incorporated under the laws of Nova Scotia, another province of Canada, or Canada.
There is no limit on the size of the production budget, no corporate or asset cap, and no Canadian content or copyright ownership requirements associated with the tax credit.
Contact:
Derek R. Firth, CA, director of finance (acting)
Tel: (902) 424-7177
filmnovascotia@gov.ns.ca
www.filmnovascotia.com