A pilot program from the Independent Production Fund (IPF) will help finance 11 new webisode series, distributing $1.2 million among the Canadian production companies that were selected. The new funding program, which received 166 applications this year, shows the IPF board’s commitment to adapt to a changing media and production industry, says Andra Sheffer, executive director, Independent Production Fund.

‘The IPF has been funding drama series for television now for 20 years. It really is the broadcaster’s objective to adapt with the demand of the industry and go to where our audiences are,’ notes Sheffer.

Most of the new series are open for sponsorship and brand integration, and while they are all hunting for a broadcaster that will house their programs online, some have already found their homes on Showcase.ca and Bite TV.

‘In some cases, there is the intention of putting together a number of the episodes and broadcasting them [on TV] but usually those will be on specialty channels,’ Sheffer says.

Dark comedy Moderation Town (6 x 4 minutes), produced by Halifax-based Stitch Media, is about a small town that sees its main industry collapse, with all the citizens forced to become web moderators for employment: people who police the internet and work to maintain a good web community for corporations. Airing on Canwest’s Showcase.ca sometime this fall, Moderation Town targets males aged 18 to 35.

Papillon (20 X 3 minutes) is about a budget airline founded as a result of the industry deregulations some 30 years ago. Staffed by jaded flight attendants and ‘otherwise unemployable’ pilots, wacky things happen on Papillon’s fleet. Co-produced by Duopoly and Farmhouse Productions, the series has scored a deal with Bite TV and Bite.ca in Canada, and will be available on Babelgum.com to the rest of the world, says Catherine Tait, president of Duopoly.

Fair Play (10 x 8 minutes ), produced by Lifeforce Entertainment, is a drama about the game of golf, centerd around a child prodigy who passed up the opportunity to play pro in order to raise a family. Eventually, he gets scouted by a sponsor while playing to get away from marital problems, which are also documented in the series, and the golfer starts to work towards winning the Masters Tournament. Fair Play (working title) targets males aged 18 to 35,.

Other shows that the IPF is funding this year include the preschool series Buddy Bunnies (15 x 5 minutes), produced by Periscope Pictures; Eye to Eye with Ruby Sky (12 x 4-8 minutes), a teen mystery series produced by Story2.OH; Guidestones (40 x 3 minutes ) a paranormal/thriller series from iThentic / 3 O’clock.tv; Juliette! (10 x 4 minutes) by Les Productions Passez Go inc.; Tights & Fights – Ashes (180 x 3 minutes) a superhero series (pictured) produced by GopherX Productions; Yoohoo.tv (6 x 10 minutes) from Groupe 33; Fabrique-moi un conte by Jimmy Lee & Sid Lee, and 11 Règles (11 x 4 minutes ) from Whimz Studio.