Telefilm Canada has adjusted its Production Program requirements for 2022 following its nationwide industry consultation, including eligibility around distribution and diverse languages.

The film funder unveiled the changes yesterday (Nov. 4), along with key application dates for the 2022 calendar year.

The new guidelines state that only films with a budget of $3.5 million or more will require an eligible distributor for theatrical release to be eligible for the program. Previously program guidelines stated films with a minimum budget of $2.5 million required a theatrical distributor.

Another core change is an adjustment to the program’s language eligibility. Previously films in French, English or Indigenous languages were eligible to apply, but now films in other languages “for artistic imperatives” are eligible for funding, according to Telefilm’s updated guidelines.

Telefilm launched a diverse languages subcommittee over the summer to draft new language criteria following feedback from the industry over its language requirements.

The funder has also discontinued its “two strikes rule” for the 2022-23 fiscal year, meaning projects that have already applied twice to the program will be allowed to apply again, whether they were rejected by Telefilm or withdrawn by the applicant. The decision is based on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the industry, according to a release from Telefilm. The funder will revisit future limits to applications at a later date.

Telefilm has also added more transparency to its decision-making process, publishing the evaluation grid that its advisory committees use to determine which projects will receive funding. The grid is scored out of 100 and follows four criteria, which are weighted slightly differently depending on if a film has a budget of more or less than $3.5 million.

The criteria are: Creative elements (scored 40 for ≥$3.5M and 50 for <$3.5M); the track record of the producer, screenwriter and director (20); project viability (20 for ≥$3.5M and 10 for <$3.5M); and cultural impact and audience reach potential (20).

The funder suspended use of its Success Index in 2020, which was established in 2012 to measure the commercial, cultural and industrial success of films financed by Telefilm and was criticized for its focus on box office revenue.

Other changes to the production program include increased funding participation for projects with a budget between $1.5 million and $2.5 million and an increased cap on greenlight financing.

The application period for the program begins on Jan. 4, 2022, for films with a budget of $3.5 million or more. The full breakdown of dates is available on Telefilm’s website.

Telefilm has previously debuted changes to its Talent to Watch fund in October, increasing the maximum amount for scripted and unscripted projects to $250,000 and $150,000 respectively. The funder also increased the maximum budget per project to $500,000.

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