Quebecor Fund Announces Funding for Producers and Distributors Under its Television Production, Film Production and Export Support Programs Français
MONTRÉAL, July 7, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The Quebecor Fund Board of Directors has announced the projects and business models that have been selected to receive funding totalling more than $4 million under its three television production, film production and export support programs.
In the 40th round of the Television Production Assistance Program, for which submissions closed on May 1, 2020, Canadian production companies will receive financial contributions totalling nearly $2.9 million. Of that amount, $300,000 has been granted under the Support for Convergent Production component to Productions Déferlantes inc. for a project that will air on the Canadian broadcaster TVA Group Inc. (TVA). Under the Support for the Creation of Intellectual Property component, more than $1,708,650 has been awarded to six projects from Happy Camper Média inc., Urbania TV 2802 inc., Productions Les Brainers inc., Untamed Productions 4 inc., Jane Losa Films inc. and Productions Lustitia inc. The broadcasters that are investing in the development of these projects are CBC/Radio-Canada, Bell Media (Canal D), TVA Group Inc. (Évasion and TVA) and TV5. Under the Support for the Production of Intellectual Property for International Markets component, launched in partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF), Quebecor Fund is contributing $873,043 in this round and the CMF $823,043 for a total of $1,696,086, to be divided among five fiction projects and one documentary project produced by Encore Télévision inc., Productions KOTV inc., Productions Pixcom inc., Films Blach inc., Dans mes yeux Télé inc. and Terre Innue Productions inc. The selected productions will air on the Canadian broadcasters Corus (Série+), Bell Media (V Télé), TVA Group Inc. (TVA), Télé-Québec and CBC/Radio-Canada.
Since its inception in 1999, Quebecor Fund's Television Production Assistance Program has supported a total of 298 projects involving 89 production companies, 48 Canadian broadcasters and 34 foreign broadcasters with grants totalling nearly $87.4 million under all of its components combined. Of the funding granted since spring 2017 under Quebecor Fund's three programs, 25% has gone to documentaries, 24% to programs for children/youth, 27% to variety/performing arts, and 24% to drama.
Under the television and multiplatform sections of the Support for Convergent Production component, Quebecor Fund has granted a total of more than $77 million to date, including this 40th round.
Counting this 7th round of the Support for the Creation of Intellectual Property component, launched in March 2017, Quebecor Fund has provided repayable grants totalling more than $8.1 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 3rd round of the Support for the Creation of Intellectual Property for International Markets component, launched in April 2019 in partnership with the CMF, Quebecor Fund has provided Québec producers with repayable grants totalling nearly $2 million and the CMF nearly $1.5 million to increase the value of French-language fiction shows and help them break into international markets.
The Quebecor Fund Board of Directors also announced grants totalling $585,000 for production companies and distributors in the 20th round of the Film Production Assistance Program, for which applications closed on May 26, 2020. The three successful projects will be produced and distributed by the following Canadian companies: Christal Films Productions inc., Amérique Film inc., Parallaxes, Les Films Opale inc., Maison 4:3 inc. and TVA Films.
Since it was launched in September 2010, Quebecor Fund's Film Production Assistance Program (which previously included event production) has granted 92 projects a total of more than $15 million, including nearly $14 million for 78 film projects and more than $1 million for 14 event projects.
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, more than $9.4 million has been invested in 39 export business models with 26 partner companies, and the Fund's partner, the CMF, has invested an additional $2.3 million since 2017. In this 16th round, the CMF and Quebecor Fund are each investing $450,000, for a total of $900,000, in the business models of the following three companies: Groupe de Divertissement Digital Dimension, Trio Orange inc. and Productions Squeeze inc.
Quebecor Fund is also introducing specific funding to promote female shareholding in the partner companies that receive support from the Export Assistance Program (EXAP). Companies that have had their fair market value assessed by an independent expert can obtain an additional contribution of up to $80,000 from Quebecor Fund to cover interest payments for five years on a loan to finance the transfer of shares to female personnel. Encore Télévision inc. and Trio Orange inc. will be the first to receive a total of $160,000 in financing to support female stock ownership.
PRODUCTION PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE
TELEVISION PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
SUPPORT FOR CONVERGENT PRODUCTION COMPONENT:
Star Académie 2021
- Productions Déferlantes inc.
- Canadian broadcaster: TVA Group Inc. (TVA)
After a nearly 10-year absence, Star Académie will be back with a splash in 2021 to delight Québec music fans and emerging artists. Its eagerly anticipated return will usher in a new era of musical reality TV, in which the focus will no longer be on stars or virtuosos but rather on creators. It's all about the music! The 2021 edition of Star Académie will be not just a television phenomenon but a cultural phenomenon: #SAnation. Star Académie is a celebration of Québec music and talent, a launching pad for artists aged 18 to 30 who want to advance their musical careers and make a living from their art. Through their experiences at the academy and with the support of the faculty, the contestants will hone their skills in all things musical. They will have a chance to show their talent in the Sunday evening galas, accompanied by some of the biggest names in Québec music.
SUPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FOR INTERNATIONAL MARKETS COMPONENT:
FICTION
Bête noire
- Encore Télévision inc.
- Canadian broadcaster: Corus (Série+)
Bête noire is a series about the people involved in the tragedies we hear about in the news: a shooting, a murder, a suicide, an infanticide. Why do people do such things? What goes on inside the head of a killer? A mass murderer? What are the consequences for the victim's loved ones and also for the families of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes?
Virage
- Productions KOTV Inc.
- Canadian broadcaster: Bell Media (V Télé)
Charlotte Lessard, triple Olympic medallist in speed skating, retires and decides at the same time to break up with Antoine, the man with whom she had been planning to spend her life after her career. She stares into the void and realizes that life is not a race whose outcome she can control. Loosely based on the life of Marianne Saint-Gelais.
La Faille 2
- Pixcom Productions Inc.
- Canadian broadcaster: TVA Group Inc. (TVA)
Detective Céline Trudeau investigates the mysterious hotel room murder of a former engineer who was responsible for an overpass collapse that caused multiple deaths. The plot thickens complicated when other murders follow, and even more so when Sophie's father, whom Céline has not seen in 15 years, becomes one of the suspects.
Le 422 – season 2
- Blachfilms (Films Blach inc.)
- Canadian broadcaster: Télé-Québec
Our young heroes must close ranks to face new challenges that are more personal and complex than ever. They are driven into a corner by Gamma, who forces Lou and his gang to dig deep for the strength they need to find the coveted treasure.
Le Chaos
- Dans mes yeux Télé inc.
- Canadian broadcaster: TVA Group Inc. (TVA)
The lives of our protagonists, 10 diehard teen fans of the singer INVO, are forever changed by a bloodbath at their idol's concert. Some will die. Others will live. But at what cost?
DOCUMENTARY
Laissez-nous raconter
- Terre Innue Productions Inc.
- Canadian broadcaster: Société Radio-Canada
The 11 First Peoples in Québec and Labrador – the Abenaki, Anishinaabe, Atikamekw, Cree, Innu, Inuit, Maliseet, Mi'gmaq, Mohawk, Naskapi and Wendat nations – talk about their history, their stories, their values, ways of life, spirituality, myths and legends, pain and hope, in their own words and from their own point of view. Their voices enrich the collective narrative and the conversation about the future of humanity and the planet.
PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE FILM PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Au revoir le bonheur
- Producer: Christal Films Productions
- Distributor: Les Films Opale inc.
A feature film written and directed by Ken Scott. At their summer home near Havana, Cuba, four Québec brothers with little in common, their wives and their flock of kids come together to scatter their father's ashes. When Nicolas, the youngest brother, loses the urn containing the ashes, conflicts ensue.
Baby-sitter
- Producer: Amérique
- Distributor: Maison 4:3 inc.
A feature film directed by Monia Chokri and written by Catherine Léger. Cédric loses his job at Hydro-Québec after making a sexist joke that goes viral. At the urging of his brother, a politically correct intellectual, Cedric goes into therapy to overcome his latent misogyny and writes Sexist Story, a liberating testimonial. Nadine is exasperated by her boyfriend's turn toward introspection. Lacking excitement in her life, she lets herself be drawn into her mysterious babysitter's tantalizing games. Adapted from the play, Baby-sitter is a comedy that delves into the unconscious, tattered relationships, and the will to dominate the other.
La Bataille de Farador
- Producer: Parallaxes - 9215-8534 Québec inc.
- Distributor: TVA Films
Charles is an accomplished game master. He flees real-world responsibilities and the constraints of real-life relationships by spending most of his time directing the action in a Dungeons & Dragons-style role-playing game. Charles and his roommates and fellow game enthusiasts Louis and Guillaume are happy in the fictional world of Farador until his sister unexpectedly returns to the country and throws a wrench into the works.
Quebecor Fund
Quebecor Fund was established through Videotron Ltd., which provides nearly $6.6 million annually in broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU) contributions to the Canadian industry. Its mission is to support the development, production, marketing and export of high-quality content and its exploitation on various platforms. Thus far, Quebecor Fund's programs have paid out a total of more than $113 million.
The Board of Directors is responsible for all decisions pertaining to the Fund, including its direction, 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 Thursday, October 1, 2020. The deadline for the next round of the Film Production Assistance Program will be in late January, 2021. The exact date will be posted on the website. For more information, see the guidelines on the Quebecor Fund website at www.quebecorfund.ca.
SOURCE QUEBECOR FUND
Serge Thibaudeau, CEO, Quebecor Fund, 514 842-2497 / [email protected]
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