Support for the Production of Feature Films and Television Series

The City of Quebec is currently calling for projects to support the production of feature films and television series.

Support for the production of feature films and television series

General objectives

• Support the development of film and television productions carried out by companies in the National Capital
• Allow businesses and professional resources in the National Capital to work in their territory and develop their expertise there
• Promote local hiring (artists, technicians, etc.) and the structuring of the Capitale-Nationale industry through a network of its businesses
• Support the vitality of the environment to encourage creation, increase the volume and value of productions and maintain a pool of experienced local labor
• Strengthen the cultural influence of the National Capital by encouraging the talents of this territory and stimulating the competitiveness of its businesses

Specific objectives

This call for projects aims at the following specific objectives:

• Support feature film (minimum 75 minutes) or television productions having a significant impact on the film and television industry in the Capitale-Nationale region;
• Stimulate the hiring of local creative positions allowing the region to increase its distinctiveness and its influence here and abroad;
• Supplement the support of the Audiovisual Production Start-up Aid Measure and optimize its impacts;
• To complement the existing financing offer, by offering financial support which helps to finalize the financing structure.

2.1 Eligible companies

To be eligible for financial assistance for the production of feature films and television series, companies must meet the following criteria:

• Have their head office and have been in operation for more than 24 months in the territory of the National Capital;
• Be a legally incorporated for-profit or non-profit company, whose principal directors and officers reside in the territory of the Capitale-Nationale - principal directors are understood to mean "those who hold more than 50% of the company's shares";
• Have as main field of activity registered with the Registrar of Companies audiovisual production, particularly film and television production;
• Demonstrate sufficient expertise if the applicant company does not have comparable production to its credit (track record and history of collaboration of key personnel for professional projects);
• Demonstrate sound governance and rigorous administrative and financial management;
• Be up to date with your requests for financial assistance from the City of Quebec (compliance with the obligations set out in the prior agreements that may have been entered into between the City and the applicants and reporting made for projects that are completed before the submission of any new request).

2.2 Quebec (intraprovincial) or interprovincial co-productions

An applicant may submit an intraprovincial or interprovincial coproduction project only if it holds the majority of the rights to the project and if its creative and financial control over the production can be demonstrated unambiguously. Coproduction refers to the collaboration and sharing of expertise and resources between an eligible company in the Capitale-Nationale region and a company whose head office and effective control are located elsewhere in Quebec or Canada.

2.3 International co-productions

An international co-production, even a minority one, governed by a treaty and having received a preliminary recommendation from Telefilm Canada, is admissible provided that all the eligibility criteria and objectives targeted by the support for the production of feature films and television series, as set out in this call for projects, are met.

3.1 Project eligibility criteria

The call targets projects:

• of feature film or television series productions;
• fiction or documentaries (single works or series);
• whose rights are held by Canadian citizens or permanent residents;
• which are ready to enter production and whose development stages usually recognized in the industry have been completed;
• who have a confirmed financial structure of 60% of the overall budget at the time of filing; If, however, at the time of filing, the company was waiting for a response for financing that would allow the project to meet the previously mentioned requirement (SODEC, Telefilm, FMC, Private Funds), it will benefit from an additional period of 14 days to file the financing confirmations, otherwise, the project cannot be considered eligible. All other documents must, however, have been submitted on time at the time of filing;
• whose filming, including pre-production, will begin no later than the calendar year following the date of confirmation of obtaining financing by resolution of the municipal authorities;
• whose budget is at least one million dollars for a fiction and $250,000 for a documentary;
• which will be of sufficient scope to consist of productions of a minimum of 20 days of filming and which will allow local expertise to be consolidated, mainly in decision-making and creative positions;
• which will promote key functions essentially held by artists, artisans, producers, professionals and companies originating or established in the Capitale-Nationale region from scriptwriting to post-production;
• who will have a minimum of 60% of eligible expenses in the Capitale-Nationale region*;
• who will have to demonstrate the concrete impact of the financial support obtained in order to ensure the viability of the applicant company as well as the direct and lasting benefits on the workforce (the hiring and training of interns is strongly encouraged).

* Expenses are considered local when they are spent in the region. Wages paid to workers residing outside the Capitale-Nationale region are not considered local expenses. However, all costs related to the worker's presence in the region are.

The project must be accessible to the Canadian public and may be intended for the theatrical market, for Canadian television broadcast or for digital and on-demand platforms.

It is not required for a project to have benefited from the Support Measure for the Start-up of Film and Television Productions to be eligible for support for the production of feature films and television series. However, if the assessment is equal, a project that has already been supported and has met its obligations will be given preference.

3.2 Type of eligible expenses

• Production preparation (planning, setting up financing, location scouting, casting, etc.);
• Filming;
• Post-production;
• Launch and short-term promotional expenses not covered by a distribution/broadcast partner, particularly in the case of a cinematographic work.

Expenses related to the development of the project (script, development costs, acquisition and copyright costs, etc.) as well as unforeseen and contingency costs are not considered eligible expenses under this call for projects.

In the case of an international co-production, only the Canadian budget is considered in order to establish the minimum level of admissible expenses in the Quebec region.

3.3 Project financing

Support for the production of feature films and television series is complementary to the financial contributions of the main recognized funders. Any contribution will be dependent on a confirmed financial structure of at least 60% of the overall budget, as defined in point 3.1.

For productions of $5 million and over, the monetary ceiling is set at $200,000. For productions of less than $5 million, this ceiling is limited to 35% of the project's eligible expenses.

4.1 Ineligible projects

• Recordings, corporate or promotional projects, making-ofs, music videos, school and educational projects, reality TV shows, variety shows, magazines, game shows and projects whose sole purpose is to modify a work already produced are not eligible for support for the production of feature films and television series;
• Projects that are substantially completed at the time of grant award or are in the post-production stage.

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