5.3 Canadian theatrical featrure film
Financing
While the overall volume of Canadian theatrical feature film production was virtually unchanged in 2024/25, there was a slight increase in financing from foreign sources, other private sources and Telefilm Canada – the latter of which increased from $84 million to $89 million.
Exhibit 5-4 a) Financing of Canadian theatrical feature film production: All languages
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private broadcaster licence fees | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Public broadcaster licence fees | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Federal tax credit (1) | 15 | 19 | 28 | 30 | 29 |
| Provincial tax credits (1) | 45 | 66 | 88 | 95 | 92 |
| Canadian distributors (2) | 55 | 29 | 93 | 42 | 34 |
| Foreign pre-sales and advances (3) | 23 | 33 | 31 | 61 | 75 |
| Telefilm Canada | 43 | 82 | 86 | 84 | 89 |
| Canada Media Fund (4) | 2 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 9 |
| CIPFs (5) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Other public (6) | 33 | 61 | 57 | 72 | 58 |
| Other private (7) | 20 | 34 | 55 | 69 | 68 |
| Total | 243 | 340 | 456 | 475 | 460 |
Source:
Estimates based on data obtained from CAVCO, CMF, Telefilm Canada and CIPFs.
Note:
Some totals may not sum due to rounding.
(1) Canadian production companies receive federal and provincial tax credits based on their eligible expenditures, and, in almost all cases, invest their tax credits directly into their television projects, in order to complete their project financing.
(2) Canadian distributors’ financing includes minimum guarantees and advances invested in television programs and theatrical feature films in exchange for rights to market, license and exhibit the audiovisual productions in Canada, unsold territories outside of Canada or on global distribution platforms.
(3) Foreign pre-sales and advances include broadcast licence fees, minimum guarantees, advances and other forms of financing from broadcasters, distributors or other organizations based outside of Canada.
(4) Only programming in the fiction, children’s and youth, documentary and variety and performing arts categories is eligible for CMF funding.
(5) Excludes data for Black Screen Office Fund, and Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators.
(6) ‘Other public’ includes financing from provincial governments (excluding SODEC), and other federal government departments and agencies; excludes federal and provincial tax credits, Canadian public broadcasters’ licence fees and funding from Telefilm Canada.
(7) ‘Other private’ includes financing from production companies (excluding the tax credit contribution), broadcaster equity and other Canadian private investors.
Canadian theatrical feature film production in English, bilingual format and other non-official languages also displayed a shift in financing in 2024/25, away from Canadian distributors and other Canadian public sources towards foreign sources, other direct Canadian private financing, and Telefilm Canada – the latter of which increased slightly from $56 million to $59 million.
Exhibit 5-4 b) Financing of Canadian theatrical feature film production: English-language, bilingual format and non-official languages
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private broadcaster licence fees | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Public broadcaster licence fees | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Federal tax credit (1) | 12 | 15 | 25 | 27 | 25 |
| Provincial tax credits (1) | 27 | 38 | 64 | 74 | 60 |
| Canadian distributors (2) | 49 | 19 | 83 | 30 | 20 |
| Foreign pre-sales and advances (3) | 23 | 31 | 30 | 60 | 72 |
| Telefilm Canada | 26 | 56 | 58 | 56 | 59 |
| Canada Media Fund (4) | 1 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 6 |
| CIPFs (5) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Other public (6) | 4 | 6 | 9 | 40 | 10 |
| Other private (7) | 12 | 22 | 48 | 64 | 63 |
| Total | 156 | 199 | 331 | 371 | 320 |
Source:
Estimates based on data obtained from CAVCO, CMF, Telefilm Canada and CIPFs.
Note:
Some totals may not sum due to rounding.
(1) Canadian production companies receive federal and provincial tax credits based on their eligible expenditures, and, in almost all cases, invest their tax credits directly into their television projects, in order to complete their project financing.
(2) Canadian distributors’ financing includes minimum guarantees and advances invested in television programs and theatrical feature films in exchange for rights to market, license and exhibit the audiovisual productions in Canada, unsold territories outside of Canada or on global distribution platforms.
(3) Foreign pre-sales and advances include broadcast licence fees, minimum guarantees, advances and other forms of financing from broadcasters, distributors or other organizations based outside of Canada.
(4) Only programming in the fiction, children’s and youth, documentary and variety and performing arts categories is eligible for CMF funding.
(5) Excludes data for Black Screen Office Fund, and Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators.
(6) ‘Other public’ includes financing from provincial governments (excluding SODEC), and other federal government departments and agencies; excludes federal and provincial tax credits, Canadian public broadcasters’ licence fees and funding from Telefilm Canada.
(7) ‘Other private’ includes financing from production companies (excluding the tax credit contribution), broadcaster equity and other Canadian private investors.
The annual growth in French-language Canadian theatrical feature film production in 2024/25 (40.4%) was largely supported by increased levels of other Canadian public funding (i.e. funding from public sources other than Telefilm Canada and the CMF) and Canadian distributor financing.
Exhibit 5-4 c) Financing of Canadian theatrical feature film production: French-language
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private broadcaster licence fees | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Public broadcaster licence fees | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Federal tax credit (1) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Provincial tax credits (1) | 18 | 28 | 24 | 21 | 31 |
| Canadian distributors (2) | 6 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 14 |
| Foreign pre-sales and advances (3) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Telefilm Canada | 17 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 30 |
| Canada Media Fund (4) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| CIPFs (5) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Other public (6) | 29 | 55 | 48 | 32 | 48 |
| Other private (7) | 8 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| Total | 87 | 141 | 125 | 104 | 140 |
Source:
Estimates based on data obtained from CAVCO, CMF, Telefilm Canada and CIPFs.
Note:
Some totals may not sum due to rounding.
(1) Canadian production companies receive federal and provincial tax credits based on their eligible expenditures, and, in almost all cases, invest their tax credits directly into their television projects, in order to complete their project financing.
(2) Canadian distributors’ financing includes minimum guarantees and advances invested in television programs and theatrical feature films in exchange for rights to market, license and exhibit the audiovisual productions in Canada, unsold territories outside of Canada or on global distribution platforms.
(3) Foreign pre-sales and advances include broadcast licence fees, minimum guarantees, advances and other forms of financing from broadcasters, distributors or other organizations based outside of Canada.
(4) Only programming in the fiction, children’s and youth, documentary and variety and performing arts categories is eligible for CMF funding.
(5) Excludes data for Black Screen Office Fund, and Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators.
(6) ‘Other public’ includes financing from provincial governments (excluding SODEC), and other federal government departments and agencies; excludes federal and provincial tax credits, Canadian public broadcasters’ licence fees and funding from Telefilm Canada.
(7) ‘Other private’ includes financing from production companies (excluding the tax credit contribution), broadcaster equity and other Canadian private investors.