The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has announced a substantial investment totaling over $3.7 million to bolster content creation. This funding encompasses nearly $2.9 million allocated to 38 production companies through the Slate Development Pilot Program and approximately $882,500 directed towards four co-productions in collaboration with Film Fund Luxembourg.
The Slate Development Pilot Program, initiated in 2021, offers enhanced flexibility to eligible applicants, allowing them to select and fund their development projects without the prerequisite of an attached Canadian broadcaster or activating entity. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, the program featured two funding streams: one for applicants with a prior CMF track record and an alternative-access stream for those without previous CMF-funded projects. Seventeen companies with prior CMF experience received a total of $1,257,185, while 21 companies without such a track record were granted $1,575,000. Notably, 40% of the selected companies in the first stream and 38% in the alternative-access stream are entirely owned by shareholders from Diverse Communities or Official Language Minority Communities.
Geographically, the funding distribution is as follows: Ontario leads with 17 successful applicants, Quebec follows with eight, British Columbia has six, Manitoba three, New Brunswick two, and both Nova Scotia and Yukon have one each.
In addition to domestic funding, the CMF, in partnership with Film Fund Luxembourg, has invested approximately $882,500 (€574,393) in four co-productions. Two projects, Welcome to Earth (an animated feature film by Canada's Productions des Années Lumière and Luxembourg's Zeilt Production) and Algorythme (an animated series by Canada's Films Extérieur Jour and Luxembourg's Zeilt Production), have secured development funding. The other two, Ghost Ship (an XR project from Canada's Telescope Films and Luxembourg's Skill Lab) and Whispering Forest (an XR project from Canada's Jaxa Production and Luxembourg's Iris Productions), have been awarded production funding.
These strategic investments underscore the CMF's commitment to fostering innovation, supporting diverse voices, and enhancing the global competitiveness of Canada's screen industry.
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