“Telefilm Canada announces the opening dates of the Production Program for fiscal year 2027-2028. Applicants are invited to carefully read the Guidelines, Essential Information Guide and list of required documents available on the Production Program webpage.
The Production Program supports Canadian audiovisual production companies seeking financing for Canadian feature-length films at the production or post-production stage.
Key dates
First intake period for English-language projects with budgets of $3.5M and more and French-language projects at all budget levels:
– Opening: November 24, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. EST
– Closing: December 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST
Consult the Production Program webpage for all other intake dates.
Program updates
The Production Program is reopening in 2027-2028 with limited changes. As part of Telefilm’s ongoing Strategic Program Review, the program is scheduled for a broader review in preparation for fiscal year 2028-2029. Changes to the 2028-2029 program will be announced next Spring. Applicants should note that intake periods and other program parameters may be revised following that review.
Distributor eligibility for high-budget productions
As previously announced in the 2026-2027 Marketing Program Guidelines, to promote greater transparency and facilitate access for new market entrants, distributors will no longer be required to apply to Telefilm to be recognized as an Eligible Distribution Company in order to trigger a Big Budget Production application (projects with budgets of $3.5M and greater).
Instead, distributor eligibility will be assessed as part of the evaluation of each Production Program application. The Production Program Guidelines now outline the minimum criteria distributors must meet in order to trigger a Big Budget Production application.
Revised eligibility criteria for minority coproductions
Telefilm has refined the eligibility criteria for minority coproductions (Canadian share of 30% or less).
To be eligible, applicants must now demonstrate that:
– At least 65% of the project’s total financing is confirmed at the time of application (excluding reinvested Producer Fees and Corporate Overhead);
– At least one source of selective foreign financing has been confirmed.
These refinements follow the introduction of a dedicated minority coproduction stream, which has enabled Telefilm to assess a broader range of projects and further align the stream with its objectives. The updated requirements are intended to focus support on projects that are more advanced in the financing process and that demonstrate strong and diversified financing structures.”