The Bell Fund is providing $3 million across 40 Canadian prodcos through its Slate Development Program.

With three projects per selection, the funding goes toward a total of 120 projects from companies based in Ontario, B.C., Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Manitoba. The initiative funds the development of original IP to build and diversify the recipients’ slates.

Of the companies selected, 45% are majority-owned by women and/or gender diverse people; 5% are majority-owned by official language minority communities; and 55% are regional and/or owned by emerging producers. Half of those funded are majority-owned by people who are Indigenous and/or from diverse communities.

Twenty of the selected companies are based in Ontario. They include Blink49 Studios, Dark Slope, New Metric Media, Sinking Ship Entertainment, Visitor Media, Cream Productions, Darius Films, Ancient Blood Feud, Antica Productions, Cantina Media, Cave 7 Productions, Cut & Paste Pictures, eff-ewe entertainment and Good Reputation.

Madden & Mitchell Media, Curiosity Films, Little Mama Media, Owning the Means, SandBay Entertainment and Windy Isle Entertainment round out the companies from Ontario.

Twelve are Quebec-based: 10e Ave Productions, Echo Media, Muse Entertainment, Nikan Productions, Productions KOTV, Urbania Media, Ugo Media, Les Productions N, Avanti-Toast, Encore Television, Les Films Sanajik and Groupe Fair-Play.

Fry’n Pan Productions, Reality Distortion Field and Real People Real Stories were selected from B.C.

Four are from Canada’s Prairies. Fiasco Global Media and Zoot Pictures are based in Manitoba; Fenix Film & Television is based in Alberta; and Downstream Documentary Productions hails from Saskatchewan.

Lastly, Ça Tourne Productions, a primarily French-language prodco, is based in New Brunswick.

“The quality and diversity of this year’s slates reflect the depth of talent and innovation in Canada’s screen-based sector,” said Marcia Douglas, Bell Fund’s executive director, in a statement. “We’re proud to support these creators as they shape the next generation of compelling Indigenous and Canadian content.”

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