Nine projects have been tapped for the Independent Production Fund’s 2020 Short Form Series Production Program.

Focused on helping independent producers and creators with production financing for their original web digital drama series, six English-language and three French-language series have been selected to receive assistance.

Via the program, the IPF will make equity investments in these projects totalling over $1.7 million and provide consultation, training and advisory services, according to a press release.

Notably, only series that secured support from the IPF’s Development Packaging Program are eligible for the Short Form Series Production Program.

The former is a program from the CMF and IPF, which was unveiled in 2019, with the purpose of developing short-form scripted content. Of the 164 projects submitted to the stream, only 13 English-language and seven French-language series were selected and unveiled this April.

The series that picked up support from the production program include: Shaftesbury Digital’s drama/musical Topline (Scott Garvie, Christina Jennings, Paige Haight and Davin Lengyel), Filmcoop’s comedy/musical Less Than Kosher (Emily Andrews, Shaina Silver-Baird and Michael Goldlist) and Zone 3’s comedy Boeuf haché (Frédérique Traversy).

Of note, created by Romeo Candido, Topline is attached to CBC Gem and tracks the story of a recluse 15-year-old singer-songwriter who is invited to join a world-renowned music production team that creates hits for superstars.

Less Than Kosher, meanwhile, follows a failing Jewish electro-rockstar-wannabe who accidentally falls into a job as a cantor at a synagogue. Filmcoop’s Andrews confirmed to Playback Daily that the project is attached to Highball.TV.

As well, Miskeen Media’s dramedy virgins! (Aden Abebe, Fonna Seidu and Luwam Tekeste) netted funding alongside Zarqa Production’s comedy Zarqa (Zarqa Nawaz, Claire Ross Dunn, Dawn Bird and Liz Whitmere), dramedy Get Up, Aisha (Lisa Baylin, Nisha Khan, Marushka Almeida and Rabiya Mansoor) and Envoi Entertainment’s mystery/thriller Tales from the Void (Francesco Loschiavo and Barclay Maude).

On the French-language front, Productions Bien Joué’s drama Elle et lui (François Robidoux-Descary) and Echo Media’s comedy/mystery Je ne suis pas un robot (Sarah Châtelain) round out the list.

Since 2010, IPF has funded 143 scripted short form series with over $16 million.

Image courtesy of Unsplash