Grant Program for Emerging Talent and Micro-Budget Production
This program is designed to support two streams of micro-budget productions:
1) Entry-level filmmakers who have received production funding awards through a competitive, juried process from a recognized industry organization (e.g. Telefilm, Manitoba Arts Council, Gimli Film Festival Pitch Competition).
2) Producers of factual or scripted programming for projects with micro-budgets that do not exceed $100,000 and who have received a cash license or a distribution advance from an industry recognized third-party distributor.
Offered by Manitoba Film & Music
Amount
Emerging Talent: up to the LESSER of $10,000 or 50% of the project’s total cash budget; Micro-Budget Production: up to the LESSER of $10,000 or 10% of the project’s total cash budget
Quick eligibility check
Who can apply
- Emerging Talent: Entry-level filmmakers who have received production funding awards through a competitive, juried process from a recognized industry organization (e.g. Telefilm, Manitoba Arts Council, Gimli Film Festival Pitch Competition)
- Emerging Talent: These projects are not normally destined for theatrical distribution or primetime television exhibition
- Emerging Talent: Be a Manitoba resident or Manitoba business
- Emerging Talent: Have already received cash funding through a juried process from another industry organization (the trigger) non-related to MFM’s current programming
- Micro-Budget Production: Be a Manitoba business
- Micro-Budget Production: Be incorporated and the company must derive its primary source of income from the audiovisual industry, developing, producing, or distributing audiovisual projects
- Micro-Budget Production: Have a budget that does not exceed $100,000
- Micro-Budget Production: Be able to submit a commitment letter from an industry-recognized broadcaster or third-party distributor, confirming a cash license or distribution advance for use in the financing of the project (the trigger)
- Micro-Budget Production: Be fully financed and must include the Federal Tax Credit and the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit in the financing structure at 100% (less the Manitoba Frequent Filming Bonus if the Producers choose to do so)
- Micro-Budget Production: Be destined for one of the following markets: television, cinema, festivals, VOD, or online distribution
- Micro-Budget Production: Use the highest possible proportion of Manitoba resources in its crew, cast, and facilities
- Micro-Budget Production: Third-party investments do not render the project ineligible but are NOT sufficient to make it eligible; a cash license or distribution advance is a required trigger
- Demonstrate current and comparable project experience consistent with developing, producing, or marketing the proposed project (the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate this)
- Satisfactorily demonstrate the capacity to sustain the project financially and to manage and complete the project (the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate this)
- Have proof of ownership in the property and all current rights to produce and exploit the production
- Be a one-off, micro-budget feature, pilot, series, webisodes, or short film
- Be a scripted and fictional drama or comedy, documentary, experimental production, or variety production
- Be live-action or animation
- Use Manitoba as a film location, the only exception being documentaries
- Projects cannot have received funding through another organization’s funding program in which MFM has financially contributed
- Applicants must demonstrate to the satisfaction of MFM that all necessary insurance is in place
- A resident is defined as an individual who is legally entitled to be, work and remain in Canada, is currently a resident of Manitoba and has been for not less than 365 days prior to the date of application to MFM
- Not-for-profit organizations are not eligible for MFM programs
Who can't apply
- Sponsored productions, sports, news, game shows, current affairs
- Public affairs, lifestyle productions, “how-to” productions, reality television
- Instructional television, infomercials, music videos, formal or curriculum-based educational programming
- Talk shows, talk shows “culturels”, award shows, galas, reporting, and current events
- Religious programming, fundraising productions, benefits, tributes, promotional productions
- Pep rallies, travelogues, and interstitials
- Pornography
About the funding
Funding will be offered in the form of a grant up to the LESSER of the following two thresholds:
- Emerging Talent - up to $10,000; or up to 50% of the project’s total cash budget.
- Micro-Budget Production - up to $10,000; or up to 10% of the project’s total cash budget.
Emerging Talent: the grant will match the competitive cash award of the triggering organization. Both streams: the level of financial participation will be calculated on the cash portion of the budget only. Deferrals and services in kind will not be included in the calculation. As a grant, the contribution from this fund WILL grind the Manitoba Tax Credit. Funds will be disbursed according to a pre-arranged schedule for reporting requirements. MFM reserves the right to increase or decrease the level of its participation in any given project based on budget, Manitoba expenditures, genre, length and overall demand on the funds available. This grant program has limited funds and applications will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Similar programs
| Program | Type | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share: Artists in Communities | Grant | Micro-grant: $1,000 (for individual applicants only) | Open |
| Economic Development Initiative (EDI) in the Prairie provinces | Grant | PrairiesCan is investing $3.2 million through the EDI over 5 years for projects (total programme envelope | Open |
| Indigenous 360 | Grant | Micro-grant: up to $1,000 | Open |
| Recognize: Competitions | Grant | Up to $7,500 | Open |
