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Canadian Grants for Documentaries

Though some of the production costs for documentary making have decreased in recent years with the development of digital technology, it is still a challenge to get all of the financial resources necessary to complete the planning, development and production of a documentary. Documentary makers in Canada can get some financial support through grants from both public and private agencies.

  1. Canada Council for the Arts

    • The Canada Council for the Arts is an arm’s-length government agency that offers three different types of grants to film and video artists, including documentary makers. Research and creation grants, scriptwriting grants and production grants of between $3,000 and $60,000 are available for established, professional, independent documentary filmmakers. It is important to note that grants in this category are awarded based on innovation and artistic expression in the project, and documentaries produced for television or conventional wide-release film distribution are not supported. Contact the Canada Council for the Arts for more information or to apply.

      Media Arts Section

      Canada Council for the Arts

      P.O. Box 1047, 350 Albert St.

      Ottawa, ON K1P 5V8

      800-263-5588

      canadacouncil.ca

    CanWest Hot Docs Funds

    • CanWest and Hot Docs offer grants through their completion fund and no-interest loans through their development fund. The completion fund is designed to provide support to projects that are well underway and have already received some market attention. The maximum completion grant is $100,000 or 20 percent of a film’s total budget. The development fund offers no-interest loans of between $10,000 and $15,000 to support projects that are in the early stages of development and do not yet have market partners. Contact Hot Docs for more information or to apply.

      Hot Docs

      110 Spadina Ave., Suite 333

      Toronto, ON M5V 2K4

      416-203-2155

      hotdocs.ca

    Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund

    • The Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund offers grants in development and production. Development grants are directed at new-media producers or production companies taking projects from the concept through to the developed proposal stages. Grants in this category can be as large as $50,000 or 75 percent of the development budget. Production grants are directed at projects that are intended for television broadcast and already have a license from a Canadian broadcaster and also have a new-media component. These grants have maximums of $250,000 or 75 percent of the budget for the new-media component and $75,000 for the television component, which is paid directly to the broadcaster as part of the broadcast license fees. Contact the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund for more information or to apply.

      Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund

      2 Carlton St., Suite 1709

      Toronto, ON M5B 1J3

      416-977-8154

      ipf.ca

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