Telefilm Canada has unveiled its three-year Indigenous Reconciliation Plan.

The broader goal of the plan, which was released on Thursday (Oct. 19), is to incorporate “principles and objectives of reconciliation” into all aspects of Telefilm’s operations.

The plan is based on four core areas or “quadrants” of engagement which aim to: “strengthen” support for Indigenous creators by removing barriers; “expand” efforts beyond the $4 million funding envelope; “engage” with Indigenous stakeholders; and “learn” by engaging in cultural sensitivity training within its internal departments.

Goals for each area have been set for the next 18 months, with a plan to review and add engagements on a three-year basis.

The goals under the strengthen quadrant include assessing various development and production programs for barriers to access and tap into the Indigenous Screen Office’s (ISO) engagement with the industry on best practices for Indigenous funding; and to implement best practice recommendations developed from the ISO’s industry consultations in the next three years, as well as any updates recommended to eligibility criteria for Indigenous-specific funding and access to low-risk funds.

The funder also said it will continue to work from the principles of Indigenous narrative sovereignty, using the Protocols and Pathways Media Guide document as a guide.

Under the expand quadrant, Telefilm says it will establish greater incentivization within its marketing program to help connect filmmakers to domestic and international distributors; develop — and publish in three years — two business reports identifying potential barriers to access for Indigenous creators across key Canadian partners outside of funding bodies, in both the English and French-language markets; boost visibility of Indigenous creators and projects at Telefilm-sponsored events and panels; and establish the framework for an annual Indigenous delegation to one key national and one key international festival.

Goals in the engage quadrant include establishing updated mandate and composition of its Indigenous Working Group (IWG); reviewing outreach strategy; partnering with Indigenous employment centres, schools, and other organizations for Indigenous recruitment; developing an internship program; and reviewing the success of the updated IWG model and its outreach and recruitment push in three years.

Finally, the learn quadrant targets are to make annual internal anti-Indigenous racism and cultural awareness training mandatory for all staff; make the annual presentation to staff during the National Indigenous History Month mandatory; and share success stories of Indigenous projects funded by Telefilm Canada with all staff.

The plan was developed over two years through a collaborative process that included formal meetings of the IWG, interactions with filmmakers and through dialogues with key Indigenous partner organizations.

Telefilm said its Indigenous Reconciliation Plan seeks to respond to the calls to action and recommendations from both the 2017 Truth and Reconciliation Report and the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal People’s report.

Production program updated with mandate for carbon calculator

Separately, Telefilm has announced key updates to its 2024production program, including a carbon calculator requirement.

The changes were announced on Wednesday (Oct. 18) along with application dates for the program. The production program supports Canadian companies looking to finance feature-length films at the production or post-production stage.

Selected projects with budgets of $3.5 million or higher will now be required to use a carbon calculator to measure their production’s carbon footprint and submit a report as a deliverable, according to Telefilm guidelines.

Others changes include the option for minority coproductions in which Telefilm’s financial participation does not exceed $500,000 to choose between a non-repayable contribution or a repayable investment. Post-production applications will also have the choice between a non-repayable contribution or a repayable investment. Changes have been also made to the terms and conditions of greenlight financing.

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