Indigenous Program

Overview of the Indigenous Program program:

The Indigenous Program (“Program”), which forms part of the CMF’s Linear Programs, supports the growth of audiovisual production from First Nations, Inuit or Métis producers. The CMF recognizes the necessity to support the narrative sovereignty of all Indigenous Peoples to Canada and their right to tell their own stories. Eligible Projects under this Program are administered under a selective process where the CMF evaluates Applications according to an Evaluation Grid. Eligible Projects may receive funds subject to per-project Maximum Contribution amounts and other specified limitations.

Benefits of the Indigenous Program program:

• The CMF will solely decide the amount of its financial contribution to an Eligible Project, up to a Maximum Contribution. The
• Maximum Contribution shall be the lesser of 60% of the Eligible Projects Eligible Costs or the following amounts (depending
• On the applicable genre):
• Drama and Animation: $750,000
• Documentary, Variety and Performing Arts and Children & Youth: $550,000

Eligibility criteria of the Indigenous Program program:

• An Eligible Applicant to the CMF is either a for-profit (i.e., a taxable Canadian corporation, within the meaning of Canadas Income Tax Act) production company or Canadian Broadcaster (defined in Appendix A) that:
• A) Is Canadian-controlled as determined in sections 26 to 28 of the Investment Canada Act.
• B) Has its head office in Canada.
• C) Is in good standing with all applicable talent and industry associations and guilds.
• D) Has affirmed and attested that the Project submitted for funding complies with the CMFs Narrative Positioning Policy.
• E) All individuals that own and control the Applicant company/Applicant Canadian Broadcaster have registered for a PERSONA-ID account(s) and have provided this account number as part of their Application.
• An Eligible Applicant to the Indigenous Program must meet:
• O Final control in all matters relating to the Applicant company1 and the Project, and at least 51% of the Applicant companys ownership and of the Projects copyright are retained by an individual producer (or multiple
• Producers) that is a First Nations, Inuit or Metis person (Indigenous Owner).
• O For clarity, in addition to the Indigenous Owner(s) having final control and meeting this 51% ownership threshold, where an Applicant company is not 100% owned and controlled by an Indigenous Owner(s), no individual Indigenous Owner shall own and control less than 15% of both the Applicant company and copyright in the Eligible Project.
• O The Indigenous Owner exercises full creative, executive, artistic, technical, and financial control of the Eligible Project.
• O The Indigenous Owner has meaningfully participated in the Eligible Projects development and retains a financial interest in the Eligible Project that is proportional to its ownership.
• O For clarity, where the final control and central decision makers in both the Applicant company and the Project are not with the Indigenous Owner(s) from the Applicant company, the Application will not be considered eligible for funding in this Program. The CMF reserves the right to request additional documentation (including by-laws and articles of incorporation) to ensure the ownership and control provisions are met.