TORONTO — The Canada Media Fund (CMF) today provided an update on the progress of its Equity and Inclusion Strategy and presented the results to-date of the initiative.
“Over the past year, we heard from the industry, we learned, evolved and adapted. Today, we’re happy to have partnered with and supported hundreds of extraordinary projects and creators from racialized communities,” said Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of the CMF, in a press release. “I believe we have taken several steps in the right direction, but we’re only getting started. We will continue to listen, adapt and support Canada’s wealth of diverse talent and creators, while contributing to the creation of an increasingly equitable funding ecosystem.”
The CMF says it is currently in conversation with the government of Canada on how it will disburse the $60 million earmarked in the recent federal budget to encourage diverse voices in Canadian TV and digital media.
On the funding front during the last year, the CMF announced in November 2020 it would disburse $8 million through two different initiatives: a Sector Development Fund for Black People and People of Colour; and the Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, Allocation for Companies Owned by Black People and People of Colour.
In the fall of 2020, through the Sector Development Fund, more than $1 million was distributed among 19 organizations owned and controlled by Black people and people of colour for projects which result in benefits for multiple racialized screen-based creators and producers in Canada, says the CMF’s press release. Click here to access information about the organizations receiving funding through this initiative.
Through the Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, the CMF distributed $6.6 million to companies majority- owned and -controlled (51% or more) by Black people and people of colour, with the goal of supporting production companies across the country which have been affected by the ongoing pandemic. More information about the companies receiving funding through this allocation can be accessed here.
“On the first 24 hours the [Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund] program was opened, the CMF received an application demand that exceeded the program’s budget. The CMF supported a total of 168 with 90 recipients based in Ontario, 49 in Quebec, 18 in British Columbia, five in Alberta, three in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia each. It is important to note that 30% of the funding went to Black owned companies, making it the highest among all racialized communities,” reads the CMF’s press release.
For this year, the CMF announced on April 1 it would introduce a series of tangible measures to its 2021-2022 programs aimed at increasing equity, including a new Performance Envelope Factor, a Pilot Program for Racialized Communities (PPRC), a revised evaluation grid and a development stage carve-out, all designed to maximize equity in the CMF’s funding programs.
In terms of data collection, in consultation with Black and people of colour producers, the CMF convened an Equity and Inclusion in Data Collection working group, which is working in partnership with other national and regional media funding agencies and organizations, including the Black Screen Office, Coalition M.É.D.I.A and Racial Equity Media Collective. As a first step, this working group has developed a list of standard, but evolving, definitions for use in collecting data related to racialized communities and Indigenous peoples.
Going forward, the CMF “will collect regular information on members of underrepresented communities applying to its programs and carry out extensive research on their successes, challenges and concerns,” says the release.
In partnership with more than 30 industry organizations, the CMF recently launched the Made|Nous “Seek More” campaign, designed to encourage Canadians to seek out creators and content from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, reflecting the varied storytellers shaping TV, film and gaming in Canada.
For more, please click here.
