The Bell Fund has announced $1.6 million in funding to 11 TV series via its 2024 TV Production Program: Selective Stream.
In total, 45% of the funded series are from companies located in regions outside of Ontario and Quebec, including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan as well as a coproduction between Newfoundland and Ontario.
In the English-language fiction stream three projects will air on CBC including Allegiance (10 x 60 min., Season 2, Scott Road Productions, pictured); Saint Pierre (10 x 60 min., Sullivan Productions (ON) and Hawco Productions (NL); and Small Achievable Goals (10 x 30 min., Sphere Media Toronto). The fourth project is Hollywood Suite’s Slasher (8 x 60 min., Season 6, Shaftesbury Slasher VI).
In the non-fiction stream, the English language series that received funding include OUTtv’s Pride: The LGBTQ+ (6 x 30 min., Season 6, We Demand Production); and two APTN projects, Secret History: Lore and Legends (9 x 30 min., Season 3, 1961522 Alberta Ltd dba HERD of 1 MEDIA); and Treaty Road (6 x 60 min., Season 2, Treaty Road Productions 2).
The French-language projects are Corus Média’s Anticosti (6 x 60 min., Sphère Média); Secrets de villages (8 x 30 min., Season 2, Avenida Productions; TV5Unis’ FEM (10 x 30 min., Season 2, UGO Média); and Radio-Canada’s Veille sur moi (6 x 60 min., Pamplemousse Média IX).
According to the Bell Fund press release 18% of funded companies in this round of funding are majority-owned and controlled by individuals from Indigenous and/or diverse communities; and 45% of funded companies are majority-owned and controlled by individuals who self-identify as women or gender-diverse.
The Bell Fund launched the TV Production Program in 2018 to support the production of market-driven Canadian lifestyle, drama, comedy, and documentary series.
Allegiance image courtesy of CBC