Support for the production of short films and webseries

Quebec City is currently calling for projects to support the production of short films and webseries.

Support for the production of short films and web 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 financial support aims at the following specific objectives:

• Support productions of short films (less than 30 minutes long) or web series having a significant impact on the Quebec film, digital and television industry;
• Contribute to the professionalization of artists, artisans and producers in the region's film, digital and television industries;
• Increase the visibility of talents and projects from the region on digital broadcasting platforms.

2.1 Eligible companies

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

• Have their head office and have been in operation for more than 12 months in the territory of the Quebec agglomeration or in its periphery;
• Be a legally constituted for-profit or non-profit company, and whose principal directors and officers reside in the territory of the agglomeration of Quebec or its periphery - by principal directors, we mean "those who hold more than 50% of the shares of the company";
• Have as main field of activity registered with the Registrar of Companies audiovisual production, particularly cinematographic, television and digital production where applicable;
• 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 here means the collaboration and sharing of expertise and resources between an eligible collaborator from Quebec City and a collaborator 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 short films and web series, as set out in this document, are me

3.1 Project eligibility criteria

The call targets projects:

• productions of short films of the fiction, documentary or animation genre;
• of web series productions, of fiction, documentary or animation genre intended for broadcast on the Internet or any other recognized digital broadcasting platforms;
• 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;
• which have a confirmed financial structure of at least 25% of the overall budget at the time of submission, through the financial participation of the producer and a combination of confirmed financial contributions in cash and/or services;
• 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;
• which will promote key functions essentially held by artists, artisans, producers, professionals and companies from or established in Quebec from scriptwriting to post-production;
• who will have a minimum of 75% of expenses of the total project estimate in the Quebec region;
• who will have to demonstrate the concrete impact of the financial support obtained as well as the direct and lasting benefits on the workforce (the hiring and training of interns is strongly encouraged).

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

It is not required for a project to have benefited from the Measure to support the start-up of film and television productions to be eligible for support for the production of short films and web 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

Any contribution will be dependent on a confirmed financial structure of at least 25% of the overall budget, as defined in point 3.1.

The financial assistance granted can represent up to 75% of the project's eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $50,000 per project, regardless of the type of production.

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, video games, as well as projects whose sole purpose is to modify a work already produced are not eligible.  
• Projects that have largely completed filming and are in the post-production stage.

6.1 Evaluation criteria

Requests for financial assistance will be analyzed according to the following criteria:

• Project quality and feasibility: 15%
• Applicant: 5%
• Skills acquisition: 20%
• Labor: 20%
• Impact on the sector: 30%
• Radiation: 10%

Each of these categories is broken down into several indicators.

At least 80% of the funds allocated under this call for projects will be devoted to productions whose original version is in French.

6.2 Evaluation committee and application process

The projects received are analyzed by a committee made up of analysts from the three partners who co-finance the programs (City of Quebec, Secretariat of the National Capital and Ministry of Culture and Communications). 

Each project will be evaluated according to the general objectives of the program.

To assess the quality of the project, an expert from the film and television industry examines the clarity and definition of the director's and/or screenwriter's creative vision, as well as the originality and boldness of the creation. To do this, they review the elements of the financial aid application file in relation to these indicators. They then bring their conclusions to the attention of the analysis committee, which relies on their expertise.

Following the committee's evaluation of the projects, the recommendation must be approved by the municipal authorities. A response will be provided approximately 12 weeks after submission.

6.3 Conditions for awarding grants

The production contribution is selective assistance and takes the form of a grant. The terms and payment schedule of the grant are specified in the agreement between the applicant company, which obtains confirmation of financing by resolution from the municipal authorities and the City of Quebec.

Any applicant receiving financial support is required to:

• Carry out the project as submitted and for which the grant was obtained. If, for any reason, the project cannot fulfill its commitment, it must, as soon as possible, officially notify the Major Events Office;
• Notify the Major Events Office without delay of any changes to the nature and objectives of the project as well as the schedule and budget;
• Begin filming, including pre-production, no later than one calendar year following confirmation of funding by resolution of the municipal authorities.

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