ABOUT
THE CANADIAN INDEPENDENT FILM & VIDEO FUND (CIFVF)
MANDATE AND ROLE OF THE CIFVF
The Canadian Independent Film & Video Fund (CIFVF) is a dynamic
private sector funding body which supports non-theatrical
film, videos and new media projects created by Canadian independent
producers to enable lifelong learning.
There are other government-funded organizations that assist
the film and television industry, but none that plays exactly
the same role as the Fund. The CIFVF is unique in focusing
on the non-theatrical market. A broadcast licence is not required
in order to apply to the CIFVF for funding: this is an extremely
important factor for first time producers. The CIFVF assists
projects that have been unable to attain the required level
of broadcast licence fees to be eligible for Canadian Television
Fund (CTF) or Telefilm funding.
The CIFVF provides financial assistance to independent producers
for the development and production of English and French language
films or videos and interactive digital new media programs
in a variety of subject areas using the formats of documentary,
docu-drama, drama and animation to inform, educate and/or
instruct.
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
Since 1991, the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund has
reviewed over 3,600 applications and provided $17.9 million
to 900 independent Canadian productions, many of which have
won awards in Canada and overseas.
Applications for funding are accepted at normally two specified
deadlines only each year. However, for 2008, there will only
be one deadline date.
The CIFVF also prepares briefs to government and to regulatory
agencies such as the CRTC on behalf of the producers who work
in the educational/informational program production sector.
BACKGROUND
In 1988, the Department of Communications (now called Canadian
Heritage) established a $10 million program to assist the
non-theatrical sector of the film and television industry,
called the Canadian Non-Theatrical Film and Video Fund. In
1991, the government cancelled the program due to budget cuts,
but a strong lobby from the industry persuaded the government
to find funds to re-establish the program. As part of its
privatization thrust, the decision was made by the government
to set up a new, private sector fund that would eventually
become self-financing.
The Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund was incorporated
in August, 1991 as a national, non-profit organization.
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
The Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund is managed by
Executive Director Robin Jackson. The Executive Director is
responsible to a Board of Directors made up of representatives
of the industry. The Board of Directors meets once a year
and its Executive Committee more regularly to consider and
make decisions on matters of administration, policy and criteria
governing the CIFVF’s financial contributions to productions,
and financial management and audit.
The CIFVF strives to have the best board members available
to provide knowledgeable policy and operational advice and
corporate governance. Its Board members are therefore active
members of the Canadian industry and, as such, are also eligible
to apply to the Fund.
To ensure that there is no potential conflict of interest,
no CIFVF Board member sits on the jury that makes all decisions
on the selection of projects for funding. The independent
jury’s decisions are final and are not ratified by the CIFVF
Board of Directors.
Applications are assessed by a jury of peers, composed of
one producer, one distributor and one end-user. There are
three juries for Film and Video projects: one for French language
projects and two for English language projects.
The CIFVF selects members for each jury from suggestions
proposed by industry associations and relevant communities
across the country. New juries are selected for each Deadline,
and are chosen with due care and attention to ensure that
none of the individual members are involved in any application
submitted for evaluation at that Deadline. Names of jury members
are kept confidential and are released by the CIFVF only at
the end of the financial year in its Annual Report.
The CIFVF Board of Directors has established two general
principles governing the commitment of funding, and also sets
the eligibility and selection criteria against which applications
are evaluated. These criteria are subject to periodic review.
LINGUISTIC PRINCIPLES
No less than one-third of the funding available for projects
is designated to assist original French-language productions;
and approximately two-thirds of the funding is designated
to assist original English-language productions.
Geographic Principles
The CIFVF acknowledges that educational/informational production
activity is carried out in all parts of Canada and every attempt
is made to encourage and support productions originating from
all regions of the country. To that end, the CIFVF endeavours
to ensure that one-fifth of the monies available at each Deadline
is allocated to projects originating from each of the following
five regions: Atlantic and Northern Canada, Quebec, Ontario,
the Prairies, and British Columbia.
THE CANADIAN INDEPENDENT FILM AND VIDEO FUND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CO-CHAIRS
Nicole Hubert
Producer
Productions du Rapide-Blanc
Montreal, Quebec
Ira Levy
Producer
Breakthrough Films
Toronto, Ontario
TREASURER
Tony Merzetti
Producer
New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Coop
Fredericton, New Brunswick
SECRETARY
Huguette Dandeneau
Educator
Saint-Boniface, Manitoba
EXECUTIVE MEMBERS
Maria Shin
Producer
North-East Productions
Ottawa, Ontario
Dom Vetro
Distributor
Visual Education Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Lisa Meeches
Producer
Meeches Video Productions
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Jean-Louis Robichaud
Ex-Officio
Saulnierville, Nova Scotia
DIRECTORS AT LARGE
Linda Ohama
Producer
Harvest Production Ltd.
Vancouver, British-Columbia
Lori Kuffner
Producer
Cooper Rock Productions
Regina, Saskatchewan
Lalita Krishna
Producer
In Sync Video
Toronto, Ontario
Ronald Boudreau
Educator
Canadian Teachers’ Federation
Ottawa, Ontario
Ian McLaren
Producer
Productions Grand Nord
Montreal, Quebec
Michelle Bjornson
Producer
Point of View Films
Vancouver, British-Columbia
Anne Golden
Distributor
Groupe Intervention
Montreal, Quebec
MANAGEMENT & STAFF
Executive Director
Robin Jackson
Office Manager
Vacant
The Canadian Independent Film & Video Fund's mailing address
is:
Suite 203, 666 Kirkwood Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 5X9
Telephone: (613) 729-1900
Toll Free: 1-888-386-5555
Facsimile: (613) 729-4610
E-mail address: info@cifvf.ca
THE CANADIAN INDEPENDENT FILM AND VIDEO FUND
|
