The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) will take over administration of the Canada Media Fund’s (CMF) Indigenous Program starting next year.

Announced at the opening of the Indigenous Screen Summit at the Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) on Sunday (June 9), the move will see the ISO assume administration of the $10 million annual program as of April 1, 2025. The application process for the current fiscal year (2024-25) will remain the same.

The decision was made after a series of consultations between CMF and ISO, and Indigenous industry feedback will be a priority in the changeover, according to a news release. The Department of Canadian Heritage will work closely with the organizations while they make the transition.

Once the ISO takes over the program, it will bring its total funding administration amount to approximately $37 million per year, said the release.

The total factors in the $13 million in permanent funding granted in the 2024 federal budget and the estimated $14 million that will be brought into the ISO through financial contributions from foreign-owned streamers, as determined by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

The decision, published June 4, will see foreign-owned online undertakings contribute 5% of Canadian revenues to various funds in the Canadian sector, with 0.5% (about 10%) directed to the ISO’s Certified Independent Production Fund.

The CRTC has not publicly indicated how much money will be directed to various funds, but has estimated that the total value of contributions from eligible audiovisual and audio streaming platforms is $200 million per year. The $14 million is based on an estimate that the audiovisual sector will receive roughly two-thirds of the total.

“The CMF was instrumental in establishing the ISO and we have been building on this partnership and collaboration since the very beginning,” said ISO CEO Kerry Swanson in a statement. “We would like to acknowledge the strong commitment of [CMF president and CEO] Valerie Creighton and her constant support of our mandate of Indigenous narrative sovereignty.”

Added Creighton: “Kerry and I have been working towards this moment for several years. Alongside confirmation of federal funding, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the ISO being recognized as an essential agency for our industry.”

Photo by Kristian Bogner Photography