Telefilm And CBC Team Up To Fund Feature Docs $2 million fund first collaboration of its kind July 6th 2005 04:51am | Posted by: Robert Falconer HNR Senior Editor Telefilm Canada and the CBC have teamed up to create a $2-million fund to back feature documentaries. The Theatrical Feature-Length Documentary Program is the first collaboration of its kind between the broadcaster and funding agency, and will support the development, production and completion of full-length docs in 2005/06. Telefilm will commit $1.5 million to the program, with CBC picking up the remaining $500,000. The CBC's commitment will benefit English-language productions only. Two-thirds of all monies will be awarded to English-language productions, and the remaining one-third will go to French-language docs. "We've been hearing from filmmakers for a number of years that they'd like to have some dedicated money for theatrical documentaries," says Karen Franklin, Telefilm's director of English-language operations. "They felt feature-length documentaries were being lost in the shuffle, and not adequately financed or recognized by the system." Franklin says Telefilm and CBC realize that $2 million is not a lot of money when considering how many quality feature docs are waiting to be developed, but adds that this pilot initiative could help pave the way for a larger funding program in coming years. "We will be able to see what works and what doesn't work by the nature of the pilot program," she says. "If and when we have the opportunity to get some more money to have a larger program, we'll have [the program's bugs] already sorted out." Telefilm boss Wayne Clarkson publicly made the creation of such a fund one of his top priorities when he took over the job earlier this year. Source: Playback magazine In: National News |Visit the HNR Forums

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