Telefilm Canada releases COVID-19 Emergency Relief Funding Statistics

Following the disbursement of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund – Telefilm Allocation, Telefilm Canada would like to share details of the allocation of funds.

This relief funding for the audiovisual industry was included as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations.

Overall, $29,654,492 in relief funding was provided 549 companies in total, with 471 in Phase 1, and an additional 81 in Phase 2. Companies that self-identified as being majority owned by an underrepresented group (Racialized Persons, Indigenous, Women, LGBTQ2+, Persons with disabilities, and Persons from Official Language minority communities) comprised 53.1% of all funding recipients.

Funding in Phase 1 was allocated to companies in proportion to their Telefilm project funding over the last three fiscal years (April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2020).The Phase 2 allocation went to movie theatres that show Canadian films, and to audiovisual training and development partners that did not already received financial support under the Emergency Relief Fund.

Approximately 15% of the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund – Telefilm Allocation was reserved to provide additional support to clients of underrepresented identities and communities, who had historically been disadvantaged.