Canada Media Fund Awards $13M in Funding for 47 Canadian Games & Shows

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) assists with the entire development process of Canadian content across multiple platforms, including project conceptualization, prototyping, launch, and marketing. The CMF has helped create everything from video games and movies, to tv shows and podcasts.

You name it – and the CMF has helped make that content a reality.

CMF receives their contributions from the government of Canada, as well as Canadian distributors of IPTV, cable, and satellite. They disperse support through two primary funding streams:

• Experimental Stream: Encourages the development of new and innovative, interactive digital media content/software applications.
• Convergent Stream: Supports the creation of Canadian digital media content and television through funding programs.

CMF started back in 1995 as the Cable Production Fund, eventually evolving into the Canada Media Fund we know today, which opened its doors on April 1, 2010.

Which Digital Media Funding Projects Received Funding?

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) announced that 47 projects would receive a total of $13M+ in development and production funding through four of its programs. Some of these include:

Commercial Projects Program

This funding program helps fund projects which have been determined to have a high probability of commercial success based on their potential to reach commercial objectives and achieve profitability.

$8.2M has been invested in seven video games and two software applications through the Commercial Projects Program.

Out of the nine projects funded, six projects are from Québec, two are from Ontario, and one is from Alberta. Including this recent dispersal of funding, the Commercial Projects Program has contributed more than $23M towards the production of 36 Canadian media projects over 2017–2018.

Web Series Program

This funding program is designed to help support original Canadian programming that was created for the web. It helps support shows that have already completed their first season and have moved on to season two or later.

$4M in digital media funding has been awarded to 18 different web projects, with 10 projects in French, seven in English, and one in both.

There are 11 drama shows, five children’s shows, and two documentaries. Ten of the shows are from Québec, five are from Ontario, two from Alberta, and one from BC. The web series program has funded 18 different projects over the course of 2019 & 2020.

WildBrain – CMF Kids & Family Development Program

This program funding aims to fund developmental television projects for children. This recently introduced funding program is currently going through its first round of funding.

$464K in funding was provided to help support 10 projects in total. There are nine children’s and youth programs and one drama series.

Five of these projects are from Ontario, four are from Québec, and one series is from Nova Scotia. These are the first 10 projects to be funded through this program.

Corus – CMF “Page to Pitch” Program

The page to pitch program is designed to help television projects that are still in their development stages to get off the ground.

The Canada Media Fund has committed $433K in the development of 10 new projects.

Six of the projects are drama shows, three are children’s and youth projects, and one is a documentary. Out of the 10 projects, seven are from Québec, one is from Ontario, one is from BC, and one is from New Brunswick.

Apply for Funding Through the Canada Media Fund (CMF)

The Canada Media Fund offers a wide variety of different funding programs for interactive digital media projects, many with upcoming 2020 deadlines.

Stay up to date with the latest funding updates related to Canadian digital media, movies, shows, video games, and software by subscribing to the Mentor Works newsletter.