Production program

Who can apply

Canadian production companies in search of financing for the production and/or post-production stage of their feature film project(s).

Overview of the program

All projects submitted under this program will be evaluated through the lens of reaching Telefilm’s objective of obtaining a representative and diversified feature film portfolio that better reflects gender, cultural diversity and Canada’s Indigenous communities. The first step in attaining this objective will be to prioritize projects directed or written by women to ensure that we reach our 2020 goal of a portfolio that reflects gender parity while continuing to champion and support the works of Indigenous creators and members of communities representing Canada’s cultural diversity.

Applicants may submit their project or portfolio of projects at any time during the program’s opening period.

• Evaluation criteria:
  • creative elements including the originality, quality and production-readiness of the script, and the director’s vision for the film or the quality of the footage (rough-cut applications)
  • market interest (for projects with budgets of $2.5M or more)
  • the overall financial viability of the project
  • the production company’s track record
  • the feature film track record of the creative team, primarily the producer, director, screenwriter
  • the global promotion strategy

Overview of eligibility requirements

All applicants must meet the following criteria:

• be a Canadian controlled corporation, with its head office in Canada and carry out its activities in Canada
• operate as a feature film production company
• be financially stable
• producers and other key members of the production team must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents

All projects must meet the following criteria:

• be feature length (at least 75 minutes long), fictional, and be produced or completed in French, English or an Aboriginal language
• be aimed primarily at the Canadian theatrical market while maximizing distribution on alternate platforms
• have its copyright owned by Canadians
• have a budget of no less than $250,000
• budgets of $2.5M or more: the project must have a hard commitment from an eligible Canadian distribution company for theatrical release in Canada within one year of delivery
• budgets of less than $2.5M: the project must not have been submitted more than twice to the program
  • For the purposes of this requirement, post-production applications are not considered as additional production applications

Please consult the Guidelines for specific eligibility requirements.