Regional Funding

By providing a number of incentives in its Convergent Stream programs, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) strives to support productions from outside Canada’s main production centres. In response to stakeholder proposals and in order to address the geographical dynamics that influence economic activity and decision-making, the definition of regional production for English-language projects reflects projects outside of Toronto, while regional production for French-language projects reflects projects outside of Montréal.

The share of English funding going outside of Toronto in 2018-2019 has increased significantly over 2017-2018, coming close to CMF’s target of 40%. Seven new big-budget series in Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and  Newfoundland, as well as lower spending in Toronto, have helped raise the regional share.

For the third year in a row, regional French-language funding is at a five-year high. Four big-budget projects from New Brunswick, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec City helped push the regional share to 22.0%.

2018-2019 regional spending accounted for more than 40% of English development commitments. French regional commitments were at 25.8% of total French development in 2018-2019.

Outside of Toronto and Montréal, the region with the largest share of funding is British Columbia, at $17.8M or 6.5% of total convergent production funding. Alberta received $13.5M or a 4.9% share (both British Columbia and Alberta for English projects) and Nova Scotia was at $10.6M or 3.9% (fueled by both English and French projects). Quebec outside of Montreal received the largest amount of French funding, after Montreal.

Support to regional production by program 2018-2019 %

ENGLISH REGIONAL BONUS

The English Regional Production Bonus (ERPB) provides additional funding support to producers in areas of Canada outside of Toronto. The program provides 15% of television project budgets to a maximum of $1.0M. This program is part of the CMF’s Convergent Stream; thus, projects funded through this stream must include content to be produced for distribution on at least two platforms, one of which must be television and the other, digital media. Funding from this program is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The program budget of the ERPB, at $13.0M, was fully spent and contributed to 57 projects. Dramas received the largest portion of 2018-2019 program funding at 56.0%. Seven provinces received funding through the incentive with the largest amount going to Alberta at 29.8%.

QUEBEC FRENCH REGIONAL PRODUCTION INCENTIVE

The Québec French Regional Production Incentive gives additional funding to French projects originating in Québec outside of Montreal. $2.2M went to 23 projects in 2018-2019.

NORTHERN INCENTIVE - PRODUCTION

The Northern Incentive provided $0.9M in production support to 7 projects in Nunavut and the Yukon.

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