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

CTV OTTAWA SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT FUND
Development $$$: An annual budget of $50,000 is administered for concept and script development. Up to $3,500 is available in interest-free loans, repayable on the first day of principal photography. If the project does not go into production, the loan is not repayable.
CTV Ottawa acquires the right to consider further development or production of the project for six months from delivery of final material.
Criteria: Applicants must be Ottawa-based production companies or independent producers, writers or directors working in the CTV Ottawa broadcast area in eastern Ontario.
Eligible projects: All programming for TV.
Best bets: Preference is given to concepts that lend themselves to local production, with emphasis on the children’s, drama and variety categories.
Other $$$: Grants are available for professional development activities.
Contact: Rhonda Moffatt
Tel: (613) 274-4414
Rhonda.Moffatt@ctv.ca
www.ctvottawa.ca

ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL
Media Artists – Mid-Career and Established: Production grants are available for Ontario artists creating independent film, video, new media, and audio art. This program does not fund commercial film or television projects.
Eligibility: This program is open to Ontario-based professional media artists who have completed at least two independent works. Independent projects initiated by the applicant, where the applicant has creative and editorial control. Projects with budgets of $300,000 or less, in the following categories, are eligible: documentary, drama, experimental, animation, dance film/video, media art installation, new media, audio art, and any fusion of the above forms. Only directors may apply, producers are not eligible.
Deadlines: April 15, Oct. 1, 2009
Media Artists – Emerging: Production grants up to $10,000 are available for emerging Ontario artists creating independent film, video, new media, and audio art. This program does not fund commercial film or television projects.
Eligibility: This program is open to Ontario-based professional media artists who have completed at least one independent work. Independent projects initiated by the applicant, where the applicant has creative and editorial control. Projects with budgets of $75,000 or less, in the following categories, are eligible: documentary, drama, experimental, animation, dance film/video, media art installation, new media, audio art, and any fusion of the above forms. Only directors may apply, producers are not eligible.
Deadline: Nov. 16, 2009
For more information, and to download guidelines and application forms, visit the OAC website
Contact: Mark Haslam, media and visual arts officer
Tel: (416) 969-7453
1-800-387-0058 ext. 7453 (toll free)
mhaslam@arts.on.ca
www.arts.on.ca

ONTARIO MEDIA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
The Ontario Media Development Corporation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, facilitates opportunities for Ontario’s cultural media cluster – film and television, interactive digital media, book and magazine publishing, and music industries – to contribute to Ontario’s economy.
OMDC co-administers, with the Ministry of Revenue, six refundable tax credits, including four for the film/television and interactive digital media industries:
Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit: The OFTTC is a refundable tax credit on eligible Ontario labor costs incurred by a qualifying film and television production company with respect to an eligible production.
The credit rate is 35% of eligible Ontario labor costs net of assistance. In addition, first-time producers may access an increased credit rate of 40% on the first $240,000 of qualifying labor. A regional bonus rate of 10% is also available to qualifying productions.
To qualify, a company must be a taxable, Canadian-controlled corporation which has a permanent establishment in Ontario.
Productions must be in an eligible genre, have a minimum of six Canadian-content points, and be shown in Ontario within two years of completion. Television productions must have their initial broadcast between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. (except children’s).
Seventy-five percent of the production’s costs must be Ontario costs. Generally, the production must be shot and posted in Ontario.
Interprovincial and international treaty co-productions are eligible.
Ontario Production Services Tax Credit: The OPSTC is a refundable tax credit on eligible Ontario labor costs incurred by a qualifying film and television production company with respect to an eligible production.
The credit rate is 25% of eligible labor rendered in Ontario, net of assistance.
To qualify, a corporation must carry on a film or video production or production services business at a permanent establishment in Ontario, and own the copyright in the production or contract directly with the copyright owner.
Production costs must be at least $1 million, except in the case of a series consisting of two or more episodes or a pilot for such a series. Series with episodes of 30 minutes or less must be at least $100,000 per episode, and the cost for each episode longer than 30 minutes must be at least $200,000.
Ontario Computer Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit: OCASE is a refundable tax credit on eligible Ontario labor costs to qualifying corporations performing digital animation or digital visual effects activities in Ontario for use in eligible film or TV productions.
The credit rate is 20% of eligible Ontario labor costs. Eligible labor costs prior to May 11, 2005 cannot exceed 48% of the cost of eligible activities net of government assistance. There is no cap for eligible labor costs incurred after May 11, 2005.
A qualifying corporation must be incorporated in Canada and have a permanent establishment in Ontario.
Eligible activities are prescribed activities undertaken in Ontario in respect of digital animation and digital visual effects, for use in eligible film or TV productions.
The OCASE Tax Credit may be claimed in addition to the OFTTC or OPSTC.
Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit: A refundable tax credit on eligible Ontario labor costs and qualifying marketing and distribution costs to qualifying corporations developing eligible interactive digital media products in Ontario.
The credit rate is 30% of eligible Ontario labor costs and qualifying marketing and distribution costs for qualifying small corporations, and 25%* for larger corporations and corporations that perform fee for service work.
(* A rate of 20% applies to expenditures incurred between March 24, 2006 and March 25, 2008.)
The corporation must be incorporated in Canada and have a permanent establishment in Ontario.
Eligible products must be interactive digital media products whose primary purpose is to educate, inform or entertain and achieves that purpose by presenting information using two of (i) text, (ii) sound and (iii) images.
Content and Marketing Funds: These funds provide financial and strategic support to assist in the creation and marketing of new content projects in order to accelerate the growth of Ontario companies.
Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund: A three-year program of the Ministry of Culture co-administered by the OMDC. The fund assists Ontario’s entertainment and creative cluster stakeholders by supporting strategic partnerships that develop fresh approaches and solutions to the priorities and needs of the cluster.
OMDC Export Fund: Provides financial assistance to Ontario companies to pursue export development activities, including market event attendance and targeted sales trips.
Domestic markets and events are also supported by OMDC.
Contact:
Tel: (416) 314-6858
Fax (416) 314-6878
mail@omdc.on.ca
www.omdc.on.ca

TORONTO ARTS COUNCIL GRANTS TO MEDIA ARTISTS PROGRAM
Production and post-production $$$: Two levels of grants are available for independent film- and video-makers who are residents of the City of Toronto: level-one grants are for emerging artists and are a maximum of $4,000; level-two grants are for mid-career and senior artists and are a maximum of $10,000.
Criteria: Artists must retain full copyright, financial and creative control over projects, and the total budget (including development and post) must not exceed $200,000.
Deadlines: Check website for updates.
Contact: William Huffman
Tel: (416) 392-6802 x208
william@torontoartscouncil.org
www.torontoartscouncil.org