Ontario Supporting the Province’s Vibrant Film and TV Sector

TORONTO ― The Ontario government is investing nearly $1.3 million through Ontario Creates grants, providing 99 organizations with funding to help bring Canadian film, TV and digital content to audiences around the world.

The announcement was made today by Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, who was joined by Aaron Campbell, Board Chair of Ontario Creates, and Christina Jennings, Chairman and CEO of Shaftesbury, at 401 Richmond in Toronto. This arts-and-culture hub is home to imagineNATIVE and Reel Asian – Ontario Creates grant recipients who are using their support to access new global markets and showcase the work of Indigenous and East, South and Southeast Asian filmmakers and artists in Canada to new audiences.

Ontario Creates is an agency of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries that provides industry support through several investment programs, including:

• 67 grant recipients were approved through the Film and TV Export Fund, supporting export development activities such as market event attendance and targeted sales trips that will encourage company growth and success.
• 20 recipients through the Industry Development Program, supporting activities that help businesses in the book, magazine, film, television, and interactive digital media sectors expand skills, business capacity, market share, sales, and innovation.
• 12 recipients through the Interactive Digital Media Fund’s Marketing Support and Global Market Development streams, helping to strengthen and stimulate economic growth in the interactive digital media sector by supporting opportunities for producers of interactive content to create new products, access existing and new markets and grow their business.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Ontario’s heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries were among the first and hardest hit. They will take the longest to recover, but will play an important role in our economic and social recovery,” said Minister MacLeod. “The success of Canada’s own Schitt’s Creek at the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards is proof of the importance and status of Ontario’s film and TV sector. These investments through Ontario Creates will help maintain Ontario’s competitive status as a leader in support for a world-class entertainment sector, and contribute to a spectacular double bottom line – the financial bottom line of the province, as well as the equally important bottom line of our cultural fabric and identity.”

Please visit Ontario Creates for more information on funding eligibility requirements and application deadlines.

Quick Facts

• Ontario Creates is an agency of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries that serves as a catalyst for economic development, investment and collaboration in the province’s creative industries, including the music, book, magazine, film, television and interactive digital media sectors, both domestically and internationally.
• Ontario’s culture sector contributes over $25 billion to the provincial economy and supports almost 270,000 jobs.
• Ontario Creates awarded $29.2 million in grant funding to 655 projects last year.

Quotes

“imagineNATIVE is thrilled to have Ontario Creates’ support this year for the 2020 iN Industry Days and Digital Development Day. Ontario Creates’ continued support of industry development at imagineNATIVE allows us to present meaningful programming for Indigenous artists, expand our network, and create new and exciting opportunities for our community.”

– Naomi Johnson
Executive Director, imagineNATIVE

“For more than 10 years, Ontario Creates has supported Reel Asian’s mandate to give young, aspiring filmmakers in the Asian community the opportunity to learn from film and TV professionals at the festival and year-round, leading to award-winning films produced right here in Ontario. The Industry Development Program has helped us to propel the careers of filmmakers like Shasha Nakhai, who won our pitch competition in 2012 and went on to produce the 2017 short film Frame 394, which was shortlisted for an Oscar. We are thankful that the government still sees the value in supporting the arts during this time.”

– Deanna Wong
Executive Director, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival