Category Archives: Funding

Canadian Box Office over 20%!

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A curious thing happened at the Canadian theatrical box office during the week of April 5-11, 2024: over 20% of the screenings were Canadian movies. This number is usually between three to ten percent of screenings.

In BC, Monkey Man had over 55% of the Canadian screenings, with Dune: Part Two pulling in over 40%. In other words, those two movies represented over 95% of the Canadian screenings in BC for the week of April 5-11, 2024.

Canadian movies, eh?

Monkey Man was produced by Canadian motion picture company Bron Studios. Netflix declined and shopped it, and Jordan Peele picked it up. Unfortunately, Bron may be having financial difficulties.

Dune: Part Two was co-written and directed by Canadian Denis Villeneuve. It probably earns its maple leaf because the special effects were done by three Canadian companies:

  • DNEG has offices in both Toronto and Montreal.
  • Wylie Co. has offices in Montreal.
  • Rodeo FX has studios in Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto.

Yes, these are Canadian films in the sense that Canadians had a big hand in making them. Not sure they reflect the Canadian identity and experience though.

My take: I always watch the credits to the very end. It’s always worth the chuckle when a Canadian government logo scrolls by on a patently non-Canadian film. Canadian tax dollars at work!

 

Victoria’s connection to Letterboxd

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On September 29, 2023, co-founder Matthew Buchanan of Letterboxd announced, “we have accepted an offer for Tiny to acquire a 60 percent stake in Letterboxd, securing the platform’s future as an independently run company and part of the Tiny stable.”

Matthew elaborates:

“Something else that began around this time, courtesy of Tumblr’s flourishing design community, was my friendship with Andrew Wilkinson and his brother Will, both involved with MetaLab. There was no-one paying attention to the design scene at that time who wasn’t aware of their digital agency in Victoria and the quality of work it was delivering. We first met in person at XOXO in Portland, then kept in touch, as we both continued to build: us with our studio and Letterboxd, and Andrew with MetaLab and then Tiny, which acquires and supports great, creative businesses.”

The Hollywood Reporter reports the deal at $30,000,000 USD.

My take: fascinating! I can’t help but think the world is smaller than I once thought.

The numbers behind Telefilm’s Talent to Watch 2023-24 projects

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Telefilm Canada has selected 18 Talent to Watch projects to share $3.6 million from 126 submissions.

It’s quite revealing to look at the numbers in detail.

Let’s start with Genre.

Documentary 9
Drama 5
Comedy 3
Horror 1

Province?

Quebec 5
Ontario 4
British Columbia 3
Alberta 2
Manitoba 1
Nova Scotia 1
NWT 1
PEI 1

Let’s look at Language next.

English 6
French 2
English/Farsi 2
English/French/Kinyarwanda 1
English/Hungarian 1
English/Plains Cree 1
English/Punjabi 1
French/English/Arabic 1
French/Vietnamese 1
Spanish 1
Wayuunaiki/Spanish/English 1

And let’s finish up with Stream.

Filmmaker Apply-Direct 11
Industry Partner 5
Indigenous 2

In addition, if Gender is assumed from names:

Female approx. 26
Male approx. 16

Some observations:

  • Non-fiction is as successful as Fiction.
  • Half of the successful projects are from Quebec and Ontario.
  • More than half of the successful projects include world languages in addition or instead of English and/or French.
  • For the first time, the vast majority of successful projects are Filmmaker Apply-Direct.
  • Less than one third of the successful projects are from Industry Partners.
  • Women far outnumber men and other expressions of gender.
  • A project with only one director/screenwriter/producer is successful.

It appears Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program continues to compensate for the broader industry.

My take: this is the second year that filmmakers could apply directly and Telefilm has rewarded them well! Therefore, if you can apply direct, bypass your local industry partner, for odds of better than one in fifteen.

Is Ben Affleck a socialist?

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Amos Barshad, writing for WIRED, reports Ben Affleck Has a Plan for a Fairer Streaming World. (Spoilers in trailer below.)

The article is fascinating because it briefly explores Capitalism, Socialism, and fair pay in an economic environment where streaming has vastly reduced the likelihood of residuals.

Of course, Affleck‘s new streaming project, Air, concludes with Michael Jordan becoming the richest athlete ever, due to profit participation. Spoiler: Jordan gets 5% of every pair of Air Jordans sold anywhere in the world. To date, this has amounted to over $1.3 billion.

He quotes Affleck:

“Air, in many ways, is critiquing that aspect of capitalism which historically has been exploitative or patently unfair because it’s rooted in a notion that says, well, if you invest the capital, you get the reward. That needs to change. That’s what I’m trying to accomplish, and that’s what the WGA is trying to accomplish in a much bigger way. If we are going to practice capitalism, which has led to real iniquities, at the very least we ought to recognize the human beings who actually do the work and create a better world. They should be rewarded at least as well as the investors.”

I know of at least three ways cast and crew can share in potential profits:

  1. Shares: own a slice of the production company that owns the project (and all the related corporate drama that might arise)
  2. Deferrals: accept less (or volunteer your efforts) in exchange for a promise of greater pay later when the project makes a profit (if it ever does)
  3. Points: own a percentage of the projects profit, subject to previous payouts in the “waterfall.”

All risky. (The UK seems to have a tax scheme similar to the one Canada used to have that mitigates film investment risk.)

My take: I’ll leave the last words to Ben Affleck: “It’s been the greatest pleasure to see people capture bonuses based on their own work, that reflects their merit — and to not have people feel like anonymous drones. I’ve worked in this business for a long time. I know that anyone who’s really good has put their work before their self-interest as a matter of course. But they want to be empowered.”

Talent to Watch: NEW STRATEGY!

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Telefilm has just released this year’s guidelines for its Talent to Watch first feature film program and I believe your best strategy to secure this $250,000 has changed.

Previously I’ve blogged about this excellent program and suggested you join your local media cooperative to apply. That was when that was the only way. Now things have changed! (Of course, there are a myriad of other reasons to join your local media cooperative!)

Last year was the first year people from underrepresented groups could apply directly to Telefilm, bypassing the Industry Partner stream. And they were rewarded with half of the sixteen projects.

This, then, emerges as the best strategy for Talent to Watch: pull your team (Producer, Writer and Director) together from underrepresented groups and apply directly between April 17 and May 1, 2023.

Telefilm considers people from these groups as underrepresented:

  1. Indigenous
  2. Black
  3. People of Colour
  4. Women
  5. Gender-diverse individuals
  6. 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals
  7. Persons with disabilities
  8. Members of an Official Language Minority Community

For instance, Indigenous filmmakers should review Telefilm’s Indigenous initiatives.

My take: still the best odds for getting your first feature financed! I predict this may be the last year for the Industry Stream. Certainly, if your full team qualifies, you should definitely apply directly to Telefilm Talent to Watch.

The numbers behind Telefilm’s Talent to Watch 2022-23 projects

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Telefilm Canada has selected 16 Talent to Watch projects to share $3.5 million.

It’s quite revealing to look at the numbers in detail.

Let’s start with Genre.

Drama 7
Documentary 5
Comedy 1
Horror 1
Magic Realism 1
Mystery 1

Province?

Ontario 8
Quebec 4
British Columbia 2
Manitoba 1
New Brunswick 1

Let’s look at Language next.

English 4
French 4
Arabic 1
English/Arabic 1
English/Bosnian 1
English/Bulgarian 1
English/Farsi 1
English/Persian 1
French/English 1
Tibetan/English 1

And let’s finish up with Stream.

Filmmaker Apply-Direct 7
Industry Partner 7
Festival Selection 1
Industry Partner — Indigenous Component 1

In addition, if Gender is assumed from names:

Female 23
Male 15

Some observations:

  • Documentary is almost as successful as Drama.
  • Half of the successful projects are from Ontario.
  • Almost half of the successful projects include world languages in addition or instead of English and/or French.
  • Only half of the successful projects are from Industry Partners.
  • Finally women far outnumber men.

One might be tempted to conclude that Telefilm Canada is using the Talent to Watch program to over-correct its EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility) results, but that would be highly cynical.

My take: wow! This is quite a departure for Telefilm. This is the first year that filmmakers could apply directly and Telefilm has rewarded them handsomely!

Telefilm Canada releases new 18-month corporate plan

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Telefilm Canada has just released its new 2022-2024 Corporate Plan.

“These strategic priorities are guided by Telefilm’s determination to provide a public service that reflects Canada in all its diversity. To this end, Telefilm will introduce nine initiatives in the coming months.”

The nine initiatives are:

  1. Evolve our funding allocation approach by delivering a continuum of success for filmmakers, by increasing access for underrepresented groups and by enabling eco-responsible productions.
  2. Act as a partner and ally on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and eco-responsibility by adopting an evidence-based approach to our funding and corporate decisions.
  3. Promote Canada’s unique creative voices and initiatives that set the example for a sustainable and inclusive screen-based industry.
  4. Empower Telefilm’s teams and encourage internal growth and development.
  5. Streamline our programs and processes to avoid red tape, ensure a simplified workflow, improve our services, and consolidate our partnership with the Canada Media Fund.
  6. Develop and maintain user-friendly tools and systems that optimize data management.
  7. Build on the trust achieved with the government to solidify the increase in our funding.
  8. Develop relationships with public and private partners to create synergy and attract additional sources of funding.
  9. Attract donations for the Talent Fund.

In the “Performance Indicators” section, Telefilm proposes to invest in:

  • 34 Projects with production budgets greater than $3.5 million (61% of funds)
  • 38 Projects with production budgets of less than $3.5 million (28% of funds)
  • 27 Theatrical Documentaries (6% of funds)
  • 15 Talent to Watch micro-budget features (4% of funds)

Telefilm also commits to:

  • 50% gender parity for women in the role of Producer, Director, Writer
  • At least 16 projects with “a Black or people of colour” key creative
  • $4 million to Indigenous stream projects
  • 33% French-language funding
  • 20 co-productions.

Read the PDF here.

My take: With a budget of $188 million, it works out to about $5 per person in Canada. Not a bad deal.

CineVic to offer cash grants for films

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CineVic, Victoria’s media arts centre, has just announced its DYNAMO program that will fund new locally-produced films with grants of up to $2,500 in cash and $5,000 in equipment rentals.

One of the goals is to increase equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) in local independent film productions. An EDIA commitment to engage, collaborate with, and hire a diverse cast, crew, and community partners from underrepresented communities represents up to 20% of the assessment criteria.

“DYNAMO will support artists and filmmakers currently residing on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, at all levels of skill and experience from beginner to established. The program aims to foster collaborative partnerships with individuals from underrepresented communities and equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to those who self-identify as Indigenous, First Nation, Metis, Inuit, Black and persons of colour, LGBTQ2+, persons with a disability, low income, or unemployed.”

I asked Arnold Lim for his feedback:

Q: Given your background, can you comment on the DYNAMO goal of increasing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in local independent film productions?

A: “The filmmakers of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are among the most caring and hard-working people I know — and as a Korean-Canadian filmmaker I’ve felt like I have been treated well by the film community here. Having said that, funding has always been challenging for me. Even though I have been making narrative films since 2011, the very first film featuring a Korean-Canadian on screen that I have been able to get funding for will be released later this year. I couldn’t get anything else funded before and only now do I feel like I could try to fund films that I’ve written and come from my perspective. As a minority filmmaker I see DYNAMO as an opportunity for equity and an opportunity for amazing artistic relationships to be formed.”

Q: As a long-time CineVic member and award-winning filmmaker working with budgets from $20 to $200,000, in your opinion can folks actually make a decent film for $2,500?

A: “It’s absolutely possible to make a great film for $2,500! I have seen films that make my heart explode that had no budgets at all and there are countless Hollywood films with multi-million dollar budgets that I couldn’t watch for longer than five minutes. As clichéd as it sounds, at the end of the day it really comes down to imagination, perspective and execution. I have said this before and I will say it again, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands hit way above their weight class in terms of the number of amazing artists we have here and I am really pumped to see what projects grow from this great opportunity.”

The first deadline is October 31, 2022.

My take: I’m also looking forward to a crop of fascinating films from this worthy program. Let me know if you want to bounce ideas around.

Please do feed the film crew

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According to the adage, an army travels on its stomach. And it’s no different for an indie film production.

Feeding a film crew? A few suggestions, and an idea on how to do it for free:

Sophia Harvey writes Food on Set: Do’s and Don’ts for Feeding Your Crew on No Film School and expounds on these topics:

  1. Don’t be stingy.
  2. Aim for variety.
  3. Keep it caloric, but healthy.
  4. Pay attention to dietary restrictions.
  5. Keep it hot and punctual.
  6. Crafty: no mess, no mayo.
  7. Coffee and water, always and forever.
  8. Choose bulk catering.
  9. Special touches matter.

AJ Unitas lists 8 Essential Tips for Prepping an Awesome Craft Services Table on StudioBinder that include:

  1. Keep caterers away from the craft services table.
  2. Buy supplies in bulk from wholesale markets.
  3. Account for allergies and diets.
  4. Fill your craft table with healthy options.
  5. But don’t get too crazy.
  6. Get brands specifically asked for.
  7. Turn cheese sticks into two.
  8. Keep your Production going.

How to afford what could be your biggest expense on a low-budget short?

Lacee Kloze suggests 9 Ways to Feed A Hungry Film Crew For Free on Creative Live. Her bold strategy?

  1. Create a flashy one-sheet about your project.
  2. Write a form letter.
  3. Send your form letter and one sheet combo EVERYWHERE!
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask for something small — snacks, drinks or desserts — instead of a full meal.
  5. Don’t forget to ask for staples like bagels and coffee.
  6. Hit the grocery stores, natural food markets and co-ops.
  7. Start early.
  8. Team up with a non-profit.
  9. When the yeses start coming back, follow through with your promises.

Three great blog posts to get you thinking!

My take: I like French Hours that keep your work day to 10 hours, with no meal break.

Lynn Shelton $20,000 Grant Deadline August 2

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August 2, 2022, is the deadline to apply for the $20,000 Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” first feature grant.

“The Lynn Shelton “Of A Certain Age” Grant is a project-based award that provides $20,000 to an individual woman, non-binary, and/or transgender U.S. filmmaker, age 39 or older, who is working on their first narrative feature (65 minutes or over) as a director.“

The list of requirements (that you already have, right?):

  • Biography (150 words or less) – Tell the story of you and your work as a filmmaker and/or director.
  • Logline (75 words or less) – Distill the central conflict and important elements of your screenplay.
  • Film Résumé or CV (5 pages or less) – Upload your film résumé or CV.
  • Director Statement (300 words or less) – Articulate your filmmaking voice/philosophy and what about you and your process or work makes you singular as a director.
  • Film Project Overview (300 words or less) – A holistic summary of your pre-production or in-development narrative feature film that articulates the story, vision, and scope of the film, and gives the reader a feel for its main characters, plot, and themes. It should clearly describe what your film is about and give readers a reason to want to watch it.
  • Past Project Work Sample (2-3 minutes) – Provide a URL link to a video sample from a completed work (not a rough cut or work-in-progress) that you have directed within the last 10 years. If you are submitting links to platforms like Vimeo or Youtube make sure you include a password, if applicable. Indicate your start and stop time for the excerpt (e.g., “Start at 3:30 and end at 5:30”). If no start and stop time is provided, panelists will begin watching at the beginning and will watch for a maximum of three (3) minutes.
  • Narrative Feature (Proposed Project) Work Sample – Provide a URL link to one (1) of the following materials from your narrative film project that you are directing: ten (10) pages of your script (can be from any portion), a pitch deck, or clip (2 minutes or less).
  • Work Sample Context (50 words or less each) – Provide 1-2 sentence explanations for both your completed project and your current project that provide context for the reviewers for where we are in the story when your work sample starts.

My take: hey, 20K is 20K! If you qualify and you’re developing your first feature, you owe it to yourself to apply. When you win, these funds could very well be the tail that wags the proverbial dog. If you don’t win, you will still attract attention to yourself and your project. Like they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.