Canada Media Fund

Canadian filmed content public–private partnership

Fonds des médias du Canada
Canada Media Fund

Established| April 1, 2010; 15 years ago (April 1, 2010)
Mission| Foster, promote, develop and finance the production of Canadian content and relevant applications.
Website| cmf-fmc.ca

The Canada Media Fund (CMF, French: Fonds des médias du Canada - FMC) is a public–private partnership founded on April 1, 2010, by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian cable industry.[1] It is used to fund the creation of original Canadian content and support the Canadian media industry. The fund is composed of contributions made by Canadian broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs)—as mandated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)[2]—and the federal government. It funds roughly $366 million annually.[3]

## History

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The creation of the Canada Media Fund was announced by Minister of Heritage, James Moore in a speech given on March 9, 2009. It was created as a merger between the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) and the Canada New Media Fund. The fund's origins are rooted to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's formation of the Cable Production Fund in 1995.[4] From this initiation, the fund was transitioned into the Canada Television and Cable Production Fund (1996), the Canadian Television Fund (1998), the Canada New Media Fund (2001), and the Digital Media Pilot Program (2008), where the following year the Canada Media Fund was born.[4] The fund was created as a way to "[modernize] government investments to support Canadian content in the new era of consumer choice, emerging technology, and investing in Canada's future."[5]

## Administration structure

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As required by the CRTC, Canadian BDUs are required to contribute 5% of their revenues to the Canada Media Fund.[6] While policy, research and communications rest with the CMF, the day-to-day administration of applications rests with a separate entity, that of the CMF Program Administrator, which is part of Telefilm Canada.[7]

## Funded productions

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A funded projects database exists on the companies' website.[8]

### Television series

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Programs produced in association with CMF/FMC include:

* Animism: The Gods' Lake (2013)
* Baroness von Sketch Show (2011–2018)
* Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2015)
* Kim's Convenience (2013–2018)
* Letterkenny (2012)
* Murdoch Mysteries (2010–2018)
* Orphan Black (2011)
* Schitt's Creek (2014–2020)
* Slasher (season 2, 2011)
* Still Standing (season 3, 2011)
* Stories of Our Elders (2014 web series televised in 2018)
* Total Drama (formerly financed by the CTF) (2012–2014)
* Vikings (2013–2018)

### Video games

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Video games produced in association with CMF/FMC include:

* Consortium[9]
* My Singing Monsters
* Outlast
* Dead by Daylight
* The Long Dark[10]
* The Low Road[11]
* We Happy Few[12]
* Chariot[13]
* Jotun[14]
* The Messenger[15]
* Outward[16]
* Deceive Inc.[17]

### Encore+

[edit]

Encore+

YouTube information
Also known as| Encore Plus
Years active| 2017–2022

The Canada Media Fund previously operated a YouTube channel called Encore+[18] in collaboration with Telefilm Canada, Deluxe Toronto, BroadbandTV, Bell Media, and Google Canada. This channel was uniquely dedicated to licensing and making freely available outstanding legacy Canadian content, particularly series and films without an existing streaming service presence or physical home media releases.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

The service was launched on November 7, 2017, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canada.[27] Over its lifetime, all Canadian content acquisitions and curation were led by programming and operations lead Paulina Abarca-Cantin.

In early 2022, a separate sister YouTube channel called Encore Plus[28] was created with support from YouTube Canada, to offer a better user-experience for all current and future French-language content. By then Encore+ had also invested in creating Encore+ Originals, tie-in content original to the service and innovated by Abarca-Cantin, heightening discoverability and expanding upon the works on its channels, with Canadian talent providing commentary and exclusive insights for contemporary audiences years after the original production.[29]

Over five years, Encore+ also commissioned the restoration of iconic Canadian feature films including Johnny Mnemonic, The Snow Walker, New Waterford Girl, Eclipse, Monica la mitraille, L'Arrache-cœur, When Night is Falling, Remembrance, La Cueca Sola, A Silent Love and Timothy Findley's The Wars [30]

On November 17 and 18, 2022, official platforms announced that after more than five years of availability, the service (now considered a pilot project) was to shut down on November 30.[31][32][33] All media was wiped from both YouTube channels on that date, and the Twitter account[34] and Facebook page[35] with lists of content and discussion were made unavailable.

## References

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1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2010.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. ^ "Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2016-343". August 25, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
3. ^ "Annual Reports". Retrieved March 8, 2019.
4. ^ a b "Canada Media Fund - Our History". www.cmf-fmc.ca. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
5. ^ "Ottawa announces Canada Media Fund | CTV News Toronto". toronto.ctvnews.ca. March 9, 2009. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
6. ^ Lorimer, Rowland (2016). Mass communication in Canada. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press. p. 220\. ISBN 9780199013159.
7. ^ "Business Policies on the Telefilm Canada Website". Archived from the original on May 9, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
8. ^ "Funded Projects". Canada Media Fund. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
9. ^ MacMartin, Gregory. "Consortium Production Post-Mortem" (PDF). Interdimensional Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
10. ^ Sapieha, Chad (September 13, 2013). "Hinterland founder Raphael van Lierop talks about The Long Dark". Financial Post. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
11. ^ Sapieha, Chad (July 25, 2017). "How Edmonton's XGen Studios overcame the tragic loss of its founder en route to this week's launch of The Low Road". Financial Post. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
12. ^ "We Happy Few". Compulsion Games. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
13. ^ "Chariot". Chariot Game. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
14. ^ "Jotun". jotungame.com. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
15. ^ "The Messenger". Sabotage Studio. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
16. ^ "Nine Dot Studio and Kitfox Games receive CMF investments". July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
17. ^ "" DECEIVE INC. Opens for Business; Blend In and Break Out in This Spy vs. Spy Extraction Shooter, Available Today on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S" - Games Press". www.gamespress.com. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
18. ^ "Encore+ (Inactive) - YouTube". YouTube.
19. ^ Canada Media Fund (November 7, 2017). "Back for more Canadian TV and films". Cision (Press release). Retrieved January 21, 2017.
20. ^ Brioux, Bill (November 9, 2017). "YouTube channel encore+ resurrects Canadian TV shows, films". National Post. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
21. ^ Hank, Melissa (November 9, 2017). "Encore+ a new YouTube channel for retro CanCon". Canada.com. Retrieved November 27, 2017. "The Canada Media Fund collaborated with producers, distributors and unions for the project, as well as Google Canada, Bell Media, BroadbandTV (BBTV), Deluxe Toronto and Telefilm Canada."
22. ^ Powell, W. Andrew (November 22, 2017). "Encore+ brings classic Canadian television to YouTube". The Gate. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
23. ^ Papineau, Philippe (November 9, 2017). "La télé canadienne d'avant, gratuite aujourd'hui sur YouTube" [The old Canadian TV, free today on YouTube]. Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved November 27, 2017.
24. ^ Wysocka, Natalia (November 11, 2017). "L'appel des classiques avec la nouvelle chaîne YouTube Encore+" [The call of classics with the new Encore+ YouTube channel] (in French). Retrieved November 27, 2017.
25. ^ Doyle, John (November 14, 2017). "Click, click, click: Three hot Canadian web series that require your attention". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
26. ^ "Encore+ : Une chaîne YouTube pour l'industrie audiovisuelle canadienne" [Encore+: A YouTube channel for the Canadian audiovisual industry]. ActusMédias (in French). November 8, 2017. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
27. ^ "Back for more Canadian TV and films". November 7, 2017.
28. ^ "Encore Plus (Inactif) - YouTube". YouTube.
29. ^ "Our Stories. Our Treasures".
30. ^ "Entertainment news: Movie version of Timothy Findley's 'The Wars' will be seen onscreen for the first time in 35 years". Toronto Star. November 12, 2020.
31. ^ "Encore+ to explore new avenues". November 17, 2022.
32. ^ Encore+ (November 19, 2022). "A message from Encore+. Watch your favourite classics before November 30, 2022". Archived from the original on November 19, 2022 - via Twitter.
33. ^ Encore+ (November 19, 2022). "Un message d'Encore Plus. Regardez vos classiques préférés d'ici le 30 novembre 2022". Archived from the original on November 19, 2022 - via Twitter.
34. ^ @encoreplusmedia Twitter
35. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com.

## External links

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* Official website
* Department of Canadian Heritage