CBC has backed 119 projects through its Creative Relief Fund, with 20 greenlit to production and a further 99 picking up development funding.

In total, the pubcaster received almost 9,000 applications for the $2.2-million fund, first announced in April. Of the 119 selected projects, 51 (or 43%) went to titles from self-identified Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) creators, said CBC.

The projects were funded through three separate streams: innovation (82), short docs (15) and playwright pilots (17).

Within the scripted section of the innovation stream, which called for “big, bold ideas that are innovative and take creative risks,” 24 comedies and eight dramas received development funding. On the comedy side, recipients include Zoe Whittall’s Wellville, Ariel Nasr’s Work/Life, Damon Vignale’s Sadie Exposed, Zarqa Nawaz’s Essential Service, Andy King’s International Cinema Action Theatre, Copper Quartz Media’s End of the Road, LoCo Motion Pictures’ Nerotica, Take the Shot Productions’ Landed and Zapruder Films’ Captive Audience.

On the drama front, development funding went to Daniel Grou’s Bedrooms, Julia Holdway’s Code of Silence, Annie Turcotte Look Again, Mark Haroun’s New Life, Felicia Brooker’s Polpetto, Madison Walsh and Michael Musi’s Something Undone, Daniel Trotta’s Tested and Distinct Features’ Slate.

On the unscripted side of the innovation stream, two projects received production funding, while a further eight received development support.

Dominic Fegan’s The Artistic Accountant and Gurdeep Pandher’s Bhangra Happy Dance were greenlit to production, while unscripted development funding went to Fathom Film Group’s Cartoons That Shaped Us, Dayane Ntibarikure, Aiza Ntibarikure, and Christopher Cargnello’s DNA, Proper Television’s Fam Dance Canada, Sean De Vries’ Free Delivery, Three Film & Television/Stage Ten’s Grama Phones, Trey Anthony of Big Tings’ Bad Mom Diaries, Noble Television’s The Great Canadian Sex Survey and Shana Myara’s Killjoy Comedy.

In the kids and tween section of the innovation stream, 19 titles will receive development support, including Loretta Todd’s Nitanis & Skylar, Six Eleven Media’s Slick River and Jeremy Torrie’s Super Freaky.

Meanwhile, in the youth and young adult section, three projects picked up production funding – Betty Xie’s Plantemic, Dan Gaud’s Automatic and Jonathan Torrens, Sylvia Beirnes and Jeni Besworth’s Who Do You Think I Am? – while a further 16 were selected for development funding. Among the projects receiving development support through the Creative Relief Fund are Rebeka Herron’s Untitled Ringette Project, Julianna and Lydia Notten’s Well That’s Just Super, Matthew Sadowski’s Wild Geese, Kawennahere Devery Jacobs’s The Hoof Lady, Obediya Jones-Darrell’s Metanoia and Corey Lui’s Horny Lover Boys.

On the podcast front, development funds went to Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers’ She Doesn’t Speak: What Happened to Maa’Tai’Poyi, Alex McKinnon’s Sorry About the Kid, Creepy Content’s Creepy, Rob Norman and James Kim’s Limited Capacity and a pair of projects from Antica Productions, Anniversary and Heights.

In the short doc stream, 15 projects have been greenlit to production, among them Lulu Keating’s The Crown’s Speech, Sarain Fox’s Inendi (she is absent), Nicole Bazuin’s Last Night at the Strip Club, Ian Mark Kimanje’s Lockdown Baby, Mary Sexton’s Me, Mom & COVID-19, Geordie Trifa’s Pandemic Elementary, Corey Stanton’s Patient People, Van Royko and Marie-Philippe Gilbert’s Quiet Time, Sura Mallouh’s Recovery and Danae Elon, Rosana Matecki and Shelly Ben Shachar’s Life of a Dog.

In the initial call for submissions, CBC said short docs should be “standalone, immersive documentaries under 40 minutes in length, intended for a digital audience,” and must be produced and delivered within three months, with filmmakers adhering to all COVID-19 safety protocols. Cailleah Scott-Grimes’ Rockin’ the Coffin, Craig Range’s Tomomi on the Farm, Tiffany Hsiung’s Until Further Notice and Diana Dai’s Who Am I? also received production funding.

“The world has continued to evolve rapidly since the Fund was launched, and we are proud to champion these unique voices and stories that reflect our country and the extraordinary times we are living in. The innovative projects we have selected offer a diverse range of inspiring and entertaining perspectives from creators across Canada, and will help support the recovery and resurgence of our artistic and creative communities,” Barbara Williams, EVP, CBC.

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