CMF DOUBLES INTERACTIVE FUNDING TO $27M


As you may have heard, the Canada Media Fund was launched on Friday March 26 and officially begins this week on April 1st. Since the intention to combine the Canada New Media Fund with the Canadian Television Fund was officially announced last spring, Interactive Ontario (IO) and the Canadian Interactive Alliance (CIAIC) have been very busy working with the CMF team to ensure that the final result would achieve its goals for producers and developers of Interactive Digital Media content and services.

The results have been very encouraging: the total funding for Interactive Media have risen from $14M to $27M per annum through the "Experimental Stream" of the programme; the Convergent Stream of the programme will require that 50% of budget from broadcasters envelopes be spent on projects that include significant value-added interactive projects; and, the fund itself has grown to $350M per annum and has the potential to continue to grow over the coming years.

We think all of these things add up to a major win for our industry.

There is no doubt that we are much further ahead now that we were before the announcement of the fund. And in a meeting with Minister James Moore just after the announcement last week, there seems to be a genuine interest in continuing to grow the value and importance of Interactive Media at the federal level.



Of course there will be challenges.



IO and the CIAIC will be getting back to work immediately to ensure that the implementation of the new guidelines will result in an effective tool for all Interactive Media producers and developers. We need to ensure that the new provision for "project equity" investments by the CMF will not interfere with a producer's ability to finance and exploit their works; and, we need to ensure that, with the deadline for the first round of the "Experimental Stream" set at June 25th, that the Telefilm and CMF staff are ready to process and adjudicate the expanded criteria for interactive products and services which includes applications and software.



I encourage you to read through the brief analysis below and to delve into the CMF guidelines to try to understand the implications of the fund for your company and the projects you are formulating. I further ask you to send me your feedback so that IO and CIAIC can ensure it is able to properly represent the questions and concerns of all of its members companies and their interests. For our part, we will continue to push for a Canada Media Fund that truly enhances the creation of high quality Canadian Interactive Media products and services in the most efficient and effective way possible.



Yours,

Ian

--
 
Ian Kelso
President & CEO
Interactive Ontario

99 Atlantic Ave., Suite 411
Toronto, ON  M6K 3J8
TEL   416.516.0077 x222
FAX   416.840.0512
EMAIL ian@interactiveontario.com


Summary:
The Canada Media Fund is a not-for-profit corporation that delivers $350M in funding annually. Through the Experimental Stream, the CMF will encourage the development of leading-edge, interactive, digital media content and software applications. Through the Convergent Stream, the CMF will support the creation of innovative, convergent television and digital media content.

Experimental Stream

Through the Experimental Stream, the CMF will encourage the creation of leading-edge, interactive, digital media content and software applications. Eligible projects will include experimental, non-linear, interactive content and software applications created for the internet, wireless, mobile, and emerging platforms or devices. Projects must demonstrate leading-edge characteristics. A television component will not be required. Examples include web and mobile applications, videogames, web series, and software applications with a connection to the Canadian cultural sector.

Eligible applicants will include Canadian-controlled, taxable Canadian corporations with their head office in Canada or Canadian broadcasters. These include television, interactive, and web-based production companies, internet service providers; mobile service providers; broadcasting distributors; private and public broadcasters; and broadcaster-affiliated production companies.

Funding allocated to this stream is $27 million. The maximum contribution per project is 75% of eligible costs or $1 million, whichever is less. Funding will be delivered as equity investments in projects. Funding decisions will be made on a selective basis by the CMF and will be based on criteria outlined in the Experimental Stream guidelines.

Convergent Stream
Through the Convergent Stream, the CMF will support the creation of television shows and related digital media content in four underrepresented genres: drama, documentary, children's and youth, and variety and performing arts.

Eligible projects will include content produced for broadcast on television and distribution on at least one digital media platform.

Projects must include high levels of Canadian elements, including Canadian creative talent. While basic digital media components, such as basic websites and video-on-demand will be allowed for the purposes of rendering the entire convergent project eligible, the CMF will encourage the creation of rich, value added content by requiring at least 50% of a broadcast corporate group's envelopes be spent on this type of content. Examples include videogames, podcasts, webisodes, mobisodes, and interactive web content.

The streaming of a production on the internet at the same time as the television broadcast (i.e. simultaneous streaming) will not be considered an eligible digital media component for the purposes of rendering the entire convergent project eligible.

Eligible applicants will include Canadian-controlled, taxable Canadian production corporations with their head office in Canada and Canadian broadcasters (public or private). These include television, interactive, and web-based production companies; private and public broadcasters; and broadcaster-affiliated production companies.
 
You will find links below to the funding guidelines:
 
Experimental Funding

• Experimental Stream

• Development Program
• Performance Envelope Program  
• Francophone Minority Program
• Aboriginal Program
• English Production Incentive 
• English POV Program 
• Versioning Program 
• Diverse Languages Program*