Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund announced Wednesday they are investing $3.45 million in 17 new feature film projects through the Talent to Watch Program, which supports emerging filmmakers looking to finance the production stage of their first feature film.
“Talent to Watch is a powerful springboard for emerging filmmakers, giving them an opportunity to share their unique voices and contribute to the mosaic of stories that shape Canada’s identity,” said Julie Roy, executive director and CEO of Telefilm Canada, in a press release. “The richness and diversity of these projects reflect our deep commitment to showcasing a wide range of genres, languages and perspectives in many of our regions, each one adding a vital thread to the fabric of Canadian storytelling.”
Created by Telefilm in 2012, the Talent Fund is a national private donation fund dedicated to the discovery, development and promotion of Canadian emerging filmmakers. The fund relies on financial support from companies as well as individual donors.
“The Talent Fund is essential to enabling the next generation of filmmakers to add their creativity to Canadian and Indigenous film,” said Sandi Treliving, chair of the Talent Fund advisory committee, in a statement. “The donations that we receive from our generous donors are equally important. Thank you to our thoughtful supporters across Canada for ensuring that the Fund can continue to have an impact on homegrown film and the sense of belonging it inspires.”
The 17 feature film projects selected to receive funding via the Talent to Watch Program include seven from Quebec, six from Ontario, two from British Columbia, one from Yukon, and one from Saskatchewan. In addition to English and French, languages used in the films include Cree, Filipino (Visayan), Irish (Gaelic), Japanese (Kansai-ben), Kannada, Korean, and Spanish (Castilian).
The film projects include eight documentaries, six dramas, one romantic comedy, one science fiction/fantasy, and one suspense film. A full list of the projects including the directors, screenwriters and producers involved is available here.
Telefilm said it received a high volume of applications in the Talent to Watch Program for fiscal 2025-26. More than 155 projects representing more than $34 million in funding requests were assessed by an advisory committee composed of external and internal representatives who then made recommendations to Telefilm.
