The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has selected 55 prodcos for an investment of more than $4.5 million through the latest edition of its Slate Development Pilot Program.

The sum for the 2023-2024 fiscal year includes additional funds allocated to the program from the $40 million the CMF received from the Government of Canada in the 2023 budget for French-language content and underrepresented creators.

The program allows companies to choose and fund their development projects without an attached Canadian broadcaster. Of the prodcos receiving funding, 33 will be developing projects in English, and 22 in French.

Thirteen companies will develop English-language dramas, including Conquering Lion Pictures, Frantic Films, Freddie Films, MCM2 Productions, Muse Entertainment, N5 Pictures, New Metric Media, Orca Cove Media, PMA Productions, Scarborough Pictures, SEVEN24 Films, Shaftesbury and White Bear Films. Five companies developing dramas in French include Yzanakio, ComediHa!, Encore Télévision, Sovimage, Productions 10e Ave. The prodcos are all receiving $100,000 each.

Twenty-eight prodcos will develop documentary projects and will receive $75,000 each. Of these, 16 are in English and 12 in French.

The prodcos developing English-language doc projects are Acimow Media, Ari A. Cohen Productions, H2L Productions, HitPlay Productions, Intuitive Pictures, Kwassen Productions, Les Productions Galafilm, Lofty Sky Pictures, Makwa Creative, Mercury Films, Oya Media Group, Real World Films, Sagacious Media, Sandbay Entertainment, Screen Siren Pictures, and Storyline Entertainment.

The French-language prodcos include Amalga Créations Médias, B-612 TV, Bellefeuille Production Ltée, Iprod, Les Films Sanajik, Moi & Dave, Picbois Productions, Productions Hyperzoom, Taiga Média, Tapis Rouge Films, Trinôme-Inter and Urbania Media

Nine companies will be developing children and youth projects, including Imagine Create Media, Landslide Entertainment, Mainframe Studios and Media Rendezvous, in English, and Tobo Média, Echo Media, Connections Productions, Blach Films and Productions Prestigo, in French. The prodcos are receiving $75,000 each.

Image: Unsplash