The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has inked a deal to create a documentary coproduction fund with Italy to increase collaboration between the two countries.

The Canada – Italy Co-development Incentive for Documentary Projects, unveiled Tuesday evening at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto, will launch with a budget of $200,000.

Each funding partner, comprising the CMF and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism in Rome, will invest half of the total coin on offer.

Nicola Borelli, chairman of the directorate general of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism, said the pact with the CMF follows similar funds set up with agency partners in France, Germany, Brazil and Argentina.

The goal, Borelli told Playback Daily, of the Canada-Italy incentive fund from his vantage point is to spread Italian cinema internationally.

“I’m very glad, then, that we are starting this collaboration with Canada. This will mean more projects as a whole,” he said.

Eligible projects must be a feature-length documentary intended for theatrical release in Italy and for broadcast by a Canadian broadcaster, and involve at least one Canadian producer and one Italian producer.

Details and guidelines for the new incentive fund will be available on the CMF’s website on May 12, when applications will be received. The application deadline is Sept. 11, 2015.

Projects will be evaluated and selected by representatives from both funding organizations.

Borelli said there no defined template for documentaries to emerge from the Italian and Canadian partners.

“I do not have a specific idea. I mean my expectation from this co-development fund are high and I hope that Italy and Canada will find original ideas to work on and maybe develop contents that will help both countries to acquire information and knowledge mutually,” he said.