Program Administration

For 2010-2011, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) renewed its collaboration with Telefilm Canada for the administration of the CMF’s programs.

The CMF Program Administrator/Telefilm Canada (CMFPA), received a total of 1,876 applications for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, an increase of 89% from the previous year. Of that total, 1,126 received funding.

# of applications approved in 2010-2011

To respond to this increased demand and to help fulfill the expanded mandate of the CMF in the realm of digital media, the CMFPA hired and trained 16 new full time employees.  Additional analysts were also hired on a temporary basis when particular needs were identified.  Staff was provided training pertaining to digital content and new technology platforms.  Industry experts were brought in to keep analysts abreast of industry developments.

To help clients better understand the CMF’s new mandate, the CMFPA conducted over 360 one-on-one meetings with clients during a 16-city, cross-country tour.  The CMFPA also held over 100 follow up meetings and calls after the release of decisions in the Experimental Stream to help applicants whose projects had not been selected for funding to better prepare their submissions for future rounds of applications. The CMFPA also continued to provide a pre-application consulting service where producers can discuss their projects’ eligibility from all angles before officially submitting an application for funding.

In its ongoing effort to improve client services, the CMFPA continued to promote its eTelefilm services, through which clients are able to file and sign their funding applications electronically.  Through eTelefilm, clients can access and monitor information relating to their applications, as well as the status of their progress through the file administration process.  Of note, the service allows for files to be processed through coordination in half the normal time, accelerating the start of the analysis process.

The CMFPA also continued to offer and promote its direct deposit service to clients. In 2010-2011, more than 180 CMF clients registered to this service, which expedites the disbursement of funds.

Turnaround times for processing accounts were longer in most programs during this fiscal year compared to the year before. This was due to the introduction of new programs, a larger number of applications by producers and the need to work with an entirely new group of clients who were interested in the new programs. Although several initiatives were undertaken with a view to simplification during the year, there remains room for further improvement in terms of shorter times for analysis and making sure that target dates set at the start of the year are met. The CMF and CMFPA will continue working closely together to simplify procedures and help meet these objectives.

Turnaround time (days) - 2010-2011