QUEBECOR FUND ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS UNDER ITS TELEVISION PRODUCTION AND EXPORT SUPPORT PROGRAMS

MONTRÉAL, March 1, 2023 /CNW/ - The Quebecor Fund Board of Directors today announced the list of Canadian production companies that will receive financial backing in the 45th round of the Fund's Television Production Assistance Program, for which submissions closed on October 1, 2022. In this round, the Fund will disburse a total of more than $2.1 million. 

Under the Support for the Creation of Intellectual Property component, $621,568 is being granted to three projects from PVP Média inc., Attraction Images inc. and Yzanakio. The broadcasters that are investing in the development of the projects are Corus Média inc., Bell Media inc. and Société Radio-Canada. Under the Support for the Production of Intellectual Property for International Markets component, administered in partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF), Quebecor Fund is contributing $1,510,333 in this round and the CMF $406,667 for a total of $1,917,000. Quebecor Fund's contribution will be divided among ten fiction projects and one documentary project produced by Encore Télévision inc., Les Productions ALSO inc., Urbania TV inc., ComediHa! inc., V10 Média inc. (international distributor: Quebecor Content / TVA Distribution), Duo Productions inc., Productions Pixcom inc., Productions Sovimage inc., A Média inc., Trio Orange inc. and Productions J inc. The selected productions will air in Canada on Corus Média inc., TVA Group Inc., Télé-Québec, Bell Media Inc., Société Radio-Canada and TV5 Québec Canada. The CMF's contribution will be divided among six of these projects.

Since its inception in 1999, Quebecor Fund's Television Production Assistance Program has supported a total of 360 projects involving 99 production companies, 49 Canadian broadcasters and 59 foreign broadcasters with grants totalling nearly $99.4 million under all of its components combined. Of the funding granted since spring 2017 under the three components, 20% has gone to documentaries, 20% to programs for children/youth, 19% to variety/performing arts, and 42% to drama (rounded numbers).

Counting this round of the Support for the Creation of Intellectual Property component, launched in March 2017, Quebecor Fund has provided repayable grants totalling more than $12 million to support creation projects in all genres that have received a financial commitment from a recognized French-language broadcasting programming undertaking (BPU).  

Counting this round of the Support for the Production of Intellectual Property for International Markets component, launched in April 2019 in partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF), Quebecor Fund has provided repayable grants of nearly $10 million and the CMF $4.4 million, for a total of more than $14.3 million. The money enables Québec producers to add value to French-language fiction and documentaries, and break into international markets.

Quebecor Fund also has an Export Assistance Program (EXAP), which supports export initiatives by funding the development of audiovisual content adapted for non-Québec and international markets as well as marketing efforts. Since its inception in March 2014, EXAP has invested nearly $11.2 million in 47 export business models with 30 partner companies, and since 2017, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) has invested an additional amount of almost $3.2 million in partnership with Quebecor Fund. In this 21st round, the CMF is investing $350,000 and Quebecor Fund $250,000 for a total of $600,000. The funding will go to the following two companies: Attraction Images inc. and ComediHa! Distribution inc.

PRODUCTION PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE TELEVISION PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

SUPPORT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FOR INTERNATIONAL MARKETS COMPONENT:

FICTION SERIES

Bête noire - season 2

• Encore Télévision inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: Corus Média inc.
  - Partnership with the CMF

One evening in February, Pascale Joubert, 35, poisons her children Madeleine and Mika, aged 6 and 4, and tries to kill herself. Madeleine survives but Mika doesn't. Together Éliane and Sergeant Boisvert pull out all the stops to get Pascale declared not criminally responsible for her son's murder.

Portrait-Robot - season 3

• Les Productions ALSO inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: TVA Group Inc.
  - Partnership with the CMF

While Eve rebuilds her relationship with her son, the Unit investigates a series of lurid crimes: Bernard's kidnapping, the return of a serial killer, the theft of a baby, sexual extremists and high-profile killings of men. To make matters worse, one of the Unit's own is responsible for Bernard's abduction and is trying to torpedo the investigation!

L'Air d'aller - season 2

• Urbania TV inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: Télé-Québec
  - Partnership with the CMF

L'Air d'aller is the stirring story of four ailing friends who rediscover the urgency of living life to the fullest. In season 1 they were "condemned to die"; in season 2, they are "condemned to live." Bynucin, a miracle drug that eliminates the symptoms of cystic fibrosis, has just been approved in Canada. Our heroes are overjoyed. Each of them starts to imagine what life could be like without illness.

La Confrérie - season 2

• ComediHa! inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: Bell Media Inc.
  - Partnership with the CMF

La Confrérie is set in Québec City, a town better known for its old-world charm, civil servants and tranquility than for its nightlife, debauchery and crime. But Québec City has a dark side! The series begins with Simon, a restaurant owner and family man with a secret life that will affect his whole family. The brotherhood he belongs to will take on unexpected and surreal proportions.

Détective Surprenant

• V10 Média inc.
  - International distributor: Quebecor Content – TVA Distribution
  - Canadian broadcaster: TVA Group Inc.
  - Partnership with the CMF

Detective-Sergeant Surprenant is on a case in a fishing village on the Magdalen Islands when the mysterious death of a teenage girl shocks the small community. Rosalie Richard, the mayor's daughter, had been reported missing. Surprenant cancelled his vacation to take charge of the investigation. The discovery of the girl's body launches a complex investigation that throws the entire village into turmoil.

Classé secret - season 2

• Duo Productions inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: TVA Group Inc.

Season 1 of Classé secret was about betrayal; season 2 is about revenge. Eighteen months after Emile's death, Rachel Miller is trying to juggle her family life with her career. But her work takes centre stage when two Québec mining engineers are taken hostage in Africa and, at the same time, Rachel is assigned to capture a French mercenary passing through Montréal.

Lac-Noir - season 2

• Pixcom Productions inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: TVA Group Inc.

After the horrific events and mysterious disappearances that rocked Lac-Noir in season 1, calm seems to have finally returned to the village. But one night, all the animals on a farm are killed in a gruesome bloodbath. Could there be a new werewolf in the neighbourhood? Police officers Valerie and Adrien are called to the scene and realize that the little community is once again in grave danger.

Une affaire criminelle - season 2

• Productions Sovimage inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: Bell Media Inc.

Season 2 of Une affaire criminelle tells the story of the unlikely friendship between two Montréal policewomen. Their paths cross for the first time in 2016, when the father of one of them, a former member of the gang squad, mysteriously goes missing.

Stop

• A Média inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: Société Radio-Canada

François is Québec's veterinarian to the stars and the owner of a pet products empire. In the wake of a scandal, he decides to give it all up and live a simple life with his family on the Magdalen Islands. This series asks whether it is possible to be happy with less. We often see stories about people climbing up the social ladder and finding happiness but fewer about people going down the ladder in search of a better life.

Les Cavaliers - season 2

• Trio Orange inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: TV5 Québec Canada

Les Cavaliers tells the story of dedicated 13-year-old rider Charlie and her faithful mount Orion. After a serious accident, the two allies must learn to gallop together again. A mysterious trainer with unconventional methods will help them through the ups and downs. There is also drama with Charlie's fellow riders: betrayal, rivalry, conflict, but also courage and forgiveness. The sale of Orion and an equestrian competition will force Charlie to choose between the group and personal success.

DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Le Colosse

• Productions J inc.
  - Canadian broadcaster: Bell Media Inc.
  - Partnership with the CMF

In 1986, Yves "Colosse" Plamondon was convicted of three murders and sentenced to life in prison. A drug dealer known to police, Colosse was no angel, but was he really a murderer? After 28 years in prison, during which he never stopped proclaiming innocence, Plamondon was exonerated in 2014. This series looks at nearly 30 years of legal twists and turns, conspiracies, false testimony and fabricated evidence.

Quebecor Fund

Quebecor Fund was established through Videotron Ltd., a Quebecor Media Inc. company, which provides nearly $5.5 million annually in broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU) contributions to the Canadian industry.

It is a non-profit private fund that supports the development, production, marketing and export of high-quality content and its exploitation on various platforms. To date, Quebecor Fund's programs have paid out a total of more than $129 million.

The Board of Directors is responsible for all decisions pertaining to the Fund, including its priorities, and is entirely and exclusively responsible for its funding decisions. The deadline for submissions for the next round of the Television Production Assistance Program is Monday, April 3, 2023. The deadline for the next round of the Film Production Assistance Program is Tuesday, May 23, 2023, unless a special notice stating otherwise is posted on the website. All applications for all program must be submitted electronically. For more information, please visit www.quebecorfund.ca.

SOURCE QUEBECOR FUND

Source: Serge Thibaudeau, CEO, Quebecor Fund, 514-842-2497, [email protected]