TORONTO and MONTRÉAL – The Canada Media Fund and the Quebecor Fund have announced a new pilot partnership to promote the export of Canadian content.
According to the announcement, the CMF will “draw on the expertise of the Quebecor Fund in the management and implementation of the latter's export assistance program.” Through this partnership, the two organizations will support various business models to promote the export of audiovisual projects produced in Québec. Click here to access the program’s guidelines.
The partnership between the CMF and the Quebecor Fund's Export Assistance Program will encourage the development of content for foreign markets and will aim to increase the volume of exports, accelerate the implementation of projects intended for export by creating leverage and increase the reach and revenue generated by the content of Québec-based producers through global sales and exports, says the announcement.
"The country's audiovisual sector has a clear goal of increasing Canadian content exports to create new business opportunities on the international market, where there is ever increasing demand for quality and diverse audiovisual content," said Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of the CMF in the release. "Canadian content in both official languages is recognized around the world for its quality, but international competition is fierce. Export assistance programs are essential for producers looking for new markets. By partnering with the Quebecor Fund, the CMF is benefiting from the expertise of an existing export growth program that has proven successful, as well as increasing the funding available to producers in Québec looking to enter new markets."
The maximum total contribution for each funded project will be $400,000. The Quebecor Fund will contribute a maximum of $300,000 and the CMF, $100,000, to each selected project. The Pilot Partnership will support up to five projects.
This partnership is in addition to another new export development program launched by the CMF. The Export Pilot Program will help finance development activities for television projects intended for international markets. To access the program guidelines, click here.
With a budget set at $2.6M, the program will support both English and French-language projects. In the English market, only live-action projects are eligible to apply. In the French market, both live-action and animation projects are eligible. The maximum contribution by the CMF will be the lesser of 75% of a project’s eligible costs or $75,000.
