Telefilm Canada provided a total of $158.7 million in funding support across its programs and activities in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to its annual report.

The figure was a 16% increase from the previous fiscal year, when the funder administered a total of $136.8 million in support, read the report released on Wednesday (Oct. 25).

Telefilm’s production and development programs, including Talent to Watch, amounted to $101.1 million in funding, a 6% increase from the $95.4 million provided in the 2021-22 fiscal year. Its promotion programs delivered a total of $49.2 million in support, up 32% from the $37.3 million administered in the previous fiscal year.

A total of 102 feature films were supported, with $80.1 million administered through Telefilm’s Production Program. The figure was a slight increase from the 2021-22 fiscal year when $79.7 million was provided to 91 feature films.

The Development Program saw a 16% increase in funding, with $8.9 million provided to 278 projects. In the previous fiscal year 286 projects received $7.6 million in support. The report attributed the increase to new guidelines that have a higher maximum financial participation, noting that “despite a lower number of portfolios signed this year, assistance expenses are higher than last year.”

Nineteen feature films were supported with a total of $3.7 million through the Talent to Watch program. The figure was a 56% increase from the $2.3 million provided to 58 projects in 2021-22 due to Telefilm’s focus on providing support for projects affected by the pandemic, but also attributed to its Direct Access component targeting diversity, and guidelines calling for higher maximum financial participation.

The Theatrical Documentary Program supported 30 feature films with a total of $5.5 million, up 67% from the $3.3 million provided to 25 films in the previous fiscal year.

The 2022-23 period marked the third and final year of the Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF), which was established to provide financial assistance to prodcos in case of production delays and shutdowns due to COVID-19. A total of 46 companies were compensated with a total of $8.5 million during the fiscal year with 711 productions covered under the STCF overall.

In its outlook, Telefilm noted that funding will be up for Production, Development, Talent to Watch and Marketing programs due to the federal government’s $50-million commitment to the funder for the 2023-24 fiscal year. “However, several promotional support programs will be negatively affected by the end of temporary additional funding, such as Reopening and Recovery Fund and Canada Arts and Culture Recovery Program,” read the report.

Julie Roy, executive director and CEO of Telefilm, also outlined some of the funder’s strategic plan in the report, stating “I plan to make Telefilm one of the most effective agents for bringing our industry together.”

“Our approach will focus on our social and environmental commitments, guided by principles of strong governance… Moreover, to ensure the sustainability of our ecosystem, my team and I will strive to strengthen and diversify our funding sources. This means keeping a watchful eye on the changes arising from the passage of Bill C-11. We will participate proactively in CRTC consultations,” she continued.

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