Toronto, February 1, 2023 – The Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Independent Production Fund (IPF) are announcing the renewal and increase of the CMF-IPF Development Packaging Program: Short Form Scripted Series, an initiative to encourage the creation of high-quality, original, Canadian scripted short-form series — a format that has been experiencing a surge in popularity in recent years and provides new voices and emerging talent with new opportunities to create compelling content for audiences on digital platform.

This year, the budget for the program is $900,000, a $300,000 increase compared to previous iterations. The maximum funding available for each eligible project is $30,000.

The program’s focus is to support new outstanding story-driven content by providing critical funding for creative and business development and packaging. With these tools, the creators and their projects will be in a better position to attract partners, financing, distribution and move into production.

“In addition to being extremely popular, digital short-form content is where many of our most sought-after creators get their start, establish their voice, and find their audience,” says Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, CMF. “We are proud to partner with the IPF to help these creatives set their projects — and careers — in motion.”

“The response from the industry has been clear — the CMF-IPF Development Packaging Program has helped level the playing field for smaller projects and emerging creators seeking production financing and distribution partnerships,” says Jon Taylor, CEO, IPF. “We are extremely proud of the early results of this program and grateful to the CMF for partnering with us from the very beginning and for their increased financial support in 2023.”

To be eligible for funding, projects must, among other criteria, be new and original, and be conceived as scripted, episodic short-form dramatic content with episodic running times that are less than 20 minutes.

Applicants must apply for funding before March 1, 2023. Applications will be evaluated by a selection committee overseen by the IPF with final decisions made by representatives from the IPF and the CMF. Funding recipients will be notified in April 2023.

About the Canada Media Fund

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances, and promotes the production of Canadian content for all audiovisual platforms. In addition, it guides Canadian content towards a competitive global digital environment by supporting industry innovation, rewarding success, promoting diversity of voices, and encouraging access to content through public- and private-sector partnerships. The CMF receives funding from the Government of Canada and from cable, satellite, and IP service distributors across the country. Visit the CMF’s website for more information

About the Independent Production Fund

Established in 1991, the Independent Production Fund supports Canadian creators, writers, and producers of narrative television series. In 2010, the IPF expanded its mandate to include production financing for narrative short form series. In 2020, the IPF expanded again with funding and support for the development and packaging of narrative short form series. Since its inception, the IPF has invested more than $80 million in more than 500 projects.