An additional $7 million of lifeline relief funds are being pumped into the audiovisual sector through the Canada Media Fund (CMF).

In total, the public-private funder will administer $19 million in additional funding through the Government of Canada’s Phase 2 COVID-19 Emergency Support stream. That $19 million includes $12 million previously announced in July, and an additional $7 million that was unveiled today.

Applications for Phase 2 funds open on Monday, Sept. 21 and close on Oct. 16, with applicants eligible to receive between $5,000 and $100,000. All of the Phase 2 funds are administered by the CMF, in collaboration with Telefilm, based on a formula-based approach.

Phase 2 funds were earmarked specifically for companies that did not receive funding during Phase 1, which saw the CMF administer $88.8 million and Telefilm $27 million.

“Canada’s audiovisual sector continues to be heavily impacted by the pandemic,” said Valerie Creighton, president and CEO, CMF, in a statement. “This additional support by the Government of Canada is a most welcome lifeline to hundreds of production companies across the country. These businesses are the bedrock upon which our industry is built. Their preservation is both a cultural and economic imperative.”

The top-up funding is urgently needed by production companies across the country, many of which have been unable to remount production due to ongoing insurance issues. During a town hall address on Wednesday, Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault said the government continues to work on finding a solution to the insurance conundrum, adding that it is aware that time is of the essence.

Three weeks ago, the CMF opened the application window for Phase 2 funding for interactive digital media (IDM) companies. In total, $10 million is being administered to IDM companies in Phase 2, which is also solely for applicants that did not emergency relief funds through Phase 1.

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