Federal Government Introduces "Short Term Compensation Fund" for Film Productions Affected by COVID-19

BY Josiah HughesPublished Sep 28, 2020

With COVID-19 cases spiking again, numerous industries have not been able to bounce back. These include Canadian film and television productions — but the federal government has stepped in to compensate losses.

The government has announced the "Short Term Compensation Fund," which is an emergency fund that will be paid out by Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund.

The fund will offer indie productions up to $1.5 million if they face a temporary interruption in shooting, and $3 million for a complete shutdown of production. The fund will offer a total of $50 million for the industry.

"With this measure, we are responding to the needs of Canadian audiovisual producers who are severely affected by the pandemic," Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault said in a statement. "We will save jobs and continue to encourage creativity in this industry. Our government is proud to support the Canadian film and television industry, which plays an important role in the social, cultural and economic development of our country."

Telefilm Canada executive director Christa Dickenson added, "This temporary measure provides a concrete solution to one of our industry's most pressing concerns. We look forward to the resumption of filming, and we will continue to serve the industry by helping to administer this fund."

Read more information about the fund here.




 

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