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Grants to Film and Video Artists: Scriptwriting Grants, Production Grants and Research/Creation Grants

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The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from diverse Aboriginal, cultural and regional communities, including people with disabilities.

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Deadlines

1 March or 1 October

If either of these dates falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

Please refer to the revised  program guidelines and application forms for detailed information.

Scriptwriting guidelines and application form
Production guidelines and application form
Research/Creation guidelines and application form

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Description of Program

The Grants to Film and Video Artists program supports Canadian professional independent artists who use cinema and video as a mode of artistic expression, and provides them with opportunities for creative renewal and for production of independent film and video works.

The program offers three components: Scriptwriting Grants, Production Grants and Research/Creation Grants.

To ensure the vitality and continued excellence of media arts, Canada Council for the Arts grants help support individual Canadian artists committed to the practice of film and video in a film/video as independent artist-controlled media art forms.

Only independent artworks are eligible to this program. This program does not support work created for the cultural industries of commercial film and television. Independent means that the artist initiates and is the driving force behind the proposed project. The artist must maintain complete creative and editorial control over the work, ownership of the final work and receive a significant part of the revenues generated by the work.

Scriptwriting Grants
This component,open to established and mid-career applicants only, covers the direct costs of scriptwriting (which includes research for artists’ documentaries) for independent film and video artworks.

Production Grants
This component covers the direct costs of production and post-production of independent film or video works.

Research/Creation Grants
This component provides artists with opportunities for creative renewal, experimentation, professional development and research. Grants enable artists to concentrate full-time on a program of work for a specific period of time. This component addresses artists whose practice combines experimentation, exploration and research in conjunction with production.

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Eligible Applicants

To apply to the Canada Council for the Arts, you must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You do not need to be living in Canada when you apply.

You must meet the Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist, which is an artist who:

  • has specialized training in the artistic field (not necessarily in academic institutions)
  • is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), and
  • is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if possible financially
  • has a history of public presentation.

You must also meet the Canada Council's definition of a professional media artist as described in the program guidelines.

Individuals or groups of up to three artists working collaboratively on a project may apply. Established, mid-career and emerging artists are eligible.

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Grant Amount

Scriptwriting Grants

  • Grants range from $3,000 to $20,000.

Production Grants

  • Established and mid-career artists – grants range from $3,000 to $60,000
  • Emerging artists – grants range from $3,000 to $20,000.

Research/Creation Grants

  • Established and mid-career artists – grants range from $3,000 to $60,000
  • Emerging artists – grants range from $3,000 to $20,000
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Further Information

This program summary provides an outline of the Grants to Film and Video Artists. For more details, contact one of the Program Officers listed below.

1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, extension indicated below

  • Anglophone emerging and mid-carreer artists in Research/Creation Grants OR anglophone emerging artists in Production Grants may contact:
    laura jeanne lefave, ext. 5254.
  • Anglophone established artists in Research/Creation Grants OR anglophone mid-career and established artists in Scriptwriting or Production Grants may contact:
    Ian Reid, ext. 5203.
  • Francophone artists may contact:
    Paul Thinel, ext. 5253. 

TTY: 1-866-585-5559

Media Arts Section
Canada Council for the Arts
P. O. Box 1047, 350 Albert Street
Ottawa ON  K1P 5V8

August 2012