The following is the 2004 edition of Playback’s annual digest of regional funding and investment sources available for Canadian independent film and television program development, production and/or distribution.

CanWest Western Independent Producers Fund

Contributions will be made in the form of non-recoupable grants towards production costs. Approximately 70% of funds will be allocated to dramatic production. Approximately 30% of funds will be allocated to children’s and factual programming.

Criteria: Open to companies with permanent established operational bases in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Management must reside at the western location and have been in business for three years.

Eligible projects: A Canadian broadcast licence of fair market value must support the project. This is a ‘top-up’ fund and the financial structure must be 65% secured at the time of application.

The applicant company must retain majority ownership as well as creative and financial control of the project. In the case of official treaty coproductions, the applicant company must demonstrate evidence of retaining at least 50% of control, or an equal share in the case of two or more partners. Principal photography may not occur prior to application deadline.

The program must be aired in Canada within two years of delivery and must have a broadcast length of at least 30 minutes. All projects must be a ‘Canadian production’ as certified by CAVCO or the CRTC.

Production $$$:

* Factual/children’s/variety and entertainment series: up to a maximum of $15,000 per hour to a maximum of 13 hours.

* One-offs/specials: up to a maximum of $30,000 per hour to a maximum of four hours.

* Drama series: up to a maximum of $45,000 per hour to a maximum of 13 hours.

* Movies/specials: up to a maximum of $62,500 per hour to a maximum of four hours.

Live-action children’s or youth programming as well as entertainment programming will be adjudicated as drama when the cost per hour exceeds $600,000.

Opps for outside producers: Outside producers must be partnered with an eligible Western Canadian company and the project must meet all other criteria.

Cut-off dates: April 5, May 20

Contacts: Sandra Green or Judy Robinson (780) 438-2214; www.cwipfund.ca

Craig Media Funds

(formerly Craig Broadcast Systems Funds)

Development $$$: Experienced writers can access up to $5,000 to bring a project to a treatment or first-draft phase. Development funds of up to $15,000 per project are available, paid out in stages and earmarked for writer and story editor fees. Non-interest-bearing loans repayable on the first day of principal photography. All other development funding must be in place.

Production $$$: The fund offers national rights licence fees.

Eligible projects: Canadian drama programs; music and dance and variety programs; long-form documentaries; regionally produced programs in all categories other than news and information and sports; and entertainment magazine programs.

Best bets: Canadian stories.

A-Channel Production Fund (renewed): Commitment of $10 million for broadcast licences and $1 million for development for period ending Aug. 31, 2009 for Canadian priority programs; accessed by Western Canadian independent producers and their coproduction partners.

Contact: Joanne Levy, executive director, A-Channel Production Fund, levyj@a-channel.com; www.a-channel.com

Toronto 1 New Voices Fund (new): $6.65 million for licence fees for cross-cultural documentary and drama programs in English, and at least $725,000 for script and concept development for such programs; accessed by Ontario visible minority producers.

Toronto 1 Priority Program Fund (new): $6.65 million for licence fees for priority programs, and at least $675,000 for script and concept development for such programs; will support Ontario’s small and medium-sized independent production companies.

Contact: Karen King, executive director, New Voices Fund and Independent Production, Toronto 1, karen.king@craigmedia.com; www.toronto1.tv

TELUS Broadcast, New Media & New Media Learning Funds

Production $$$: The TELUS Foundation administers three funds to support the broadcast and new media industries. Over the last five years, TELUS has distributed over $10 million in support to these projects.

TELUS Broadcast Fund: Provides interim financing to creative productions that have excellent broadcast market potential. Independent producers can apply for interim financing secured by committed funding agreements, broadcast licences, distribution agreements and other contracts.

Maximum interim financing available is $250,000 or 25% of the production budget.

Applicants (individual and corporate) must be resident in Alberta or B.C. Seventy-five percent of key creative personnel must be Alberta or B.C. residents and 75% of the total budget must be spent in Alberta or B.C.

Broadcast projects must achieve a minimum of 6/10 points on the Alberta or B.C. content scale and must be guaranteed a broadcast release in Canada within two years of delivery.

TELUS New Media Fund: Provides loans and recoupable advances to new media developers with projects that have a solid business case and a realistic marketing program. New media loans and recoupable advances are secured by the project itself and recoupable advances are repayable from project income.

Maximum assistance is $200,000 or 45% of the project budget.

The Canada-TELUS New Media Learning Fund: A $5-million renewable joint initiative between the TELUS Foundation and Heritage Canada to advance online curriculum developments in the K to 12 education space nationally under the Canadian Internet Cultural Content Strategy Funding Agreement signed mid-2002.

Recoupable advances are repayable with maximum assistance up to 50% of a project’s cost to a maximum of $200,000. Applications will be considered as long as funds are available.

Contact: Andrea Goertz, executive director, TELUS Foundation, (780) 493-7303; fax (780) 493-7364; www.telus.com/telusfund