Major Canadian digital media funding organizations are setting the bar for structuring and funding digital media coproductions and boosting the opportunity for Canadian digital media producers to connect with international partners.

The Canada Media Fund, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, the Independent Production Fund, the Quebecor Fund and the Shaw Rocket Fund have pacted on the creation of a shared framework to facilitate international digital media coproductions between Canadian producers and foreign partners.

The framework, created following industry consultations that showed producers face challenges in structuring digital copro projects, provides guidance on basic requirements to access funding from one or more of the five Canadian funding bodies involved.

It also recognizes that currently there are no existing audiovisual coproduction treaties that address digital media production.

The framework applies to digital media projects only, and not to traditional audiovisual content like film or TV copros. Additionally, according to a release from the CMF, producers will not have to apply to obtain certification of their coproduction.

Productions must meet a list of criteria, including: the production must involve at least one Canadian coproducer at a Canadian corporation and one international coproducer; minimum financial contribution from each coproducer is, as a percentage of total production costs, 20% for a copro with two countries, or 10% for a copro involving three or more countries; and total costs spend in Canada or paid to Canadians is not-less-than 75% of the Canadian financial contribution.

The framework is being implemented on a trial basis by the five funding partners. If a project seeks backing from more than one of the funding bodies, they will work together to ensure the framework is applied consistently to the project.

The full document is available here.