The Elevation Program
Production funding to support film and television producers at a pivotal moment in their careers.
Overview
Edmonton Screen’s goal is to help producers progress using various programs. The Elevation Program was developed to be used as a tool when there is a unique opportunity to jump forward. It is designed to support a significant advancement in a producer’s career and to help open doors to larger-scale production in the Edmonton region.
Projects funded through this program must increase economic activity and align with at least one of the following goals:
- increase the number of Edmonton producers
- increase the skill level, exposure, and experience of producers in Edmonton
Program Objectives
Objective 1: Level Up
Levelling up could be measured by a change in:
- Type: first feature-length film; first series
- Budget: significant increase in budget
- Format: first documentary, first scripted
- Increase in skill level of the producer (new technology or effects)
It should also feel like the next logical step in their overall career path.
Objective 2: Sustained Local Industry Impact
Applications will be assessed in respect to how the project and the levelling up will ultimately change the Edmonton film community. The applicant should demonstrate how the project is a key step in building a career that will have significant value to Edmonton, its crewbase, and the industry as a whole.
Eligibility
Applicants
Funding is available to individuals who:
- have been resident in the Edmonton region for the past 6 months or more
- are in good standing with the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Screen
- are eligible to work in Canada
Successful applicants will be expected to create a single-purpose company.
Projects
- Production budget must be greater than $100,000 and a substantial portion must be spent directly on business/contractors in the Edmonton region.
- Principal photography may commence 120 days prior to the opening of the program application period and no more than 120 days after the execution of the funding agreement with Edmonton Screen.
- Projects must be new (repackaging of previously completed projects will not be considered).
- Projects that contain propaganda; elements of serious or gratuitous sexual violence or exploitation; obscene, indecent or pornographic content within the meaning of the Criminal Code; or elements which are libelous or in any other way unlawful, are ineligible.
Production Type
- Feature-length film
- Game, contest or reality shows
- Mini-series (a minimum of two thematically connected episodes)
- Movie-of-the-week or one-off
- Pilot
- Series
- Web series (minimum total duration of 22 minutes)
Projects may be service productions or co-productions.
Expenses
Expenses must be:
- directly related to the production
- considered essential to the production
- incurred as a normal part of business
- incurred and fully paid during the eligibility period (during pre-production, production, or post-production)
- paid to individuals or companies who directly provide the goods/services to the production
Expenses may not include:
- project development
- overhead costs in excess of 5% of total budget
- producer fees in excess of 30% of total budget
Application Process
- Applicants may only submit one project per round of funding.
- Each producer may submit the same project once per intake, up to three intakes.
- Each application may only list one producer as the applicant.
- Applications forms must be fully completed as directed. If any required fields in the form do not contain the requested information, the submission will be considered as incomplete and will not be evaluated.
Application Requirements
Information required for the application form:
- Applicant contact information (company, phone, address, etc.)
- Producer information including website, IMDB link, resume and additional information related to past works (see supporting materials below)
- Application information
- Career impact (1500 characters max) – impact of the project on the applicant’s career
- Economic and ecosystem Impact (1500 characters max) – impact of the production on the the regional economy and the local ecosystem
- Project Information
- Title
- Logline (250 characters max)
- Synopsis (1000 characters max)
- Format
- Type
- Language(s)
- History of the Project (1000 characters max)
- Project Readiness (checkbox)
- Timeline
- Principal Photography Start Date
- Timeline/Key Milestones (1000 characters max)
- Budget Range
- Edmonton spend
- IP ownership
- Diversity and inclusion (1000 characters max)
Supporting Material
Required documents:
- The following must be submitted on the mandatory template that will be provided following submission of the application form
- Previous production details – details (type, budget, format) on the top 10 projects (by budget) that you received a producers credit on within the past 7 years
- Financing Structure – details on amounts, source, and status of current financing
- The following may be provided in your preferred format (as a PDF only)
- Production Budget
- Producer Resume
Optional documents:
- Applicants may submit any additional documents they wish to share; however, optional documents may not be used as part of the assessment
- May include scripts, pitch materials, director’s vision, etc.
Assessment
This is a competitive process and the following general criteria will be used to assess funding requests:
- Alignment with program objectives
- Producer readiness
- Project readiness
- Application quality
- Other criteria may also be considered
Process
- All applications will be reviewed for eligibility
- Eligible applications will then be assessed based on the criteria above
- Funding decisions will be made based on the available funding
- Provisional approval of funding will be made to selected applications and applicants will be notified of decisions
- Those selected to move forward will complete a further due diligence phase to ensure readiness to proceed and a funding agreement will be finalized and executed by all parties
Additional requirements, including reporting requirements, will be communicated to successful applicants as needed throughout the process.
Recognition and Reporting
Detailed recognition and reporting requirements can be found on the participant toolkit. Reporting will be required throughout the production to trigger funding disbursements, as well as some ongoing reporting following project completion, and will be defined in the funding agreement.
Applicants with overdue final reporting for this or any other program will not be eligible for future Edmonton Screen funding until the reporting is submitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What expenses can be covered by the funding?
Expenses must be:
- directly related to the production
- considered essential to the production
- incurred as a normal part of business
- incurred and fully paid during the eligibility period (starts on the date that pre-production begins and ends when final deliverables are received by Edmonton Screen)
- paid to individuals or companies who directly provide the goods/services to the production
Expenses may not include:
- project development
- overhead costs in excess of 5% of total budget
- producer fees in excess of 30% of total budget
When can my project begin, and how long do I have to complete it?
Principal photography may commence 120 days prior to the opening of the program application period and no more than 120 days after the execution of the funding agreement with Edmonton Screen.
There are no specific limitations to project completion and will vary depending on the size and scale of the project. A detailed production schedule will be requested if the project moves into the due diligence phase.
Can I apply more than once or for multiple projects?
Applicants may only submit one application per intake period for one project. If the applicant is unsuccesful in an intake, they may submit the project in future intakes, up to three times total.