TORONTO – The Canadian Film Centre and Netflix announced Sunday a new five-year partnership in support of Canadian talent.
The Netflix-CFC Global Project partnership will use “a model of three distinct program accelerators,” which will “amplify these voices and stories so that they resonate globally, showcasing Canadian talent within and beyond its borders,” says the CFC press release.
Netflix's support comes from its existing $25 million fund to develop the next generation of Canadian creators and talent, but the release did not say how much of that will be directed to this particular deal.
“Partnering with Netflix on this initiative represents an incredible opportunity for the CFC to continue to be at the forefront of advancing and empowering Canadian voices and stories globally,” said Slawko Klymkiw, CEO of the CFC in the release. “This project will promote opportunities for our Canadian creators, who offer a diversity of perspectives and voices to connect with global audiences.”
“We’ve seen first hand how well Canadian talent has captivated our members around the world and look forward to working with the CFC to continue to foster Canadian creatives,” added Larry Tanz, vice-president of content acquisition at Netflix.
The three accelerators mentioned above are, reads the release:
• The Calling Card Accelerator: Expands opportunities for new creators to showcase their talent through a produced calling card and realize the potential of their feature film or TV series project through a produced proof of concept.
• The Project Development Accelerator: Bolsters the international reach of dramatic feature films or TV series from mid-level diverse creators, by offering them enhanced and tailored access to development support and inspired global perspectives.
• The Marketplace Accelerator: Strengthens the festival/market preparedness of diverse creators with exciting projects and/or produced content looking to attract and secure international attention and investment.
Each accelerator will tailor its approach based on the select creator’s needs and project.
In recognition of this, Netflix will also become the presenting sponsor of CFC’s annual gala and auction, CFC’s annual barbecue fundraiser, its annual garden party and annual reception in Los Angeles. In addition, a restored cottage on the CFC campus will become the newly named “Netflix House”, enabling all the different groups of talent to mingle, connect and collaborate in a shared central hub of creative activity.
