From Berlin to Sundance, Cannes, Venice, and so many more, we love seeing Canadian productions making waves around the world. For both your project and the audiovisual industry in general, we know how important it is for Canadian films to have a presence at international film festivals and coproduction forums. By being present at these events, Canadian talent are visible and our productions gain access to important investment sources, additional distribution, marketing initiatives, and much more!
Helping you make the most of these exciting opportunities is the aim of Telefilm’s International Marketing and Festival Participation Program, which supports Canadian production companies looking to finance the promotion and international marketing of their productions officially selected at an international festival, and Canadian producers invited to an international coproduction forums.
So if your film has been selected for a recognized international festival, or you’ve been invited to participate in an eligible coproduction forum, your feature-length project could qualify for cumulative maximum assistance of up to $40,000 (for eligible expenses), and your short film could qualify for cumulative maximum assistance of $2,500 (for eligible expenses).
Getting ready for an international film festival or coproduction forum? Here’s everything you need to know.
1) You: You’re either a Canadian company specializing in the production, distribution, and sales of Canadian films (or coproductions) officially selected at an international festival supported by the program; or a Canadian production company formally invited to take part in an eligible coproduction forum.
2) Your project: is a Canadian coproduction or feature length film, intended for theatrical release in Canada, and selected at one of the international film festivals supported by the program. If your film is a short (under 30 minutes) it must be selected for a world or international premiere at one of the recognized festivals. Your project must be available in French, English or in an Indigenous language.
3) Your festival: For a complete list of recognized festivals and markets (and for details about each one’s relative status and corresponding assistance that could be available to you), consult the Annex to the guidelines of the International marketing and festival participation program on Telefilm Canada’s website.
4) Your invitation: When applying for support to participate in an international festival or a coproduction market, you must submit an official letter from the event for which your project has been selected. Consult the List of required documents of the program for the full scoop.
5) Your application: Just apply online at least three weeks before your festival begins!
To learn more about this program, including eligible expenses if your project is accepted, consult the program’s guidelines our website.
