Bell Fund Supports 38 Canadian Production Companies Through 2026 Slate Development Program
TORONTO and MONTRÉAL (October 15, 2026) – The Bell Fund is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 Slate Development Program. Following 73 eligible applications (consisting of 219 projects) from across Canada, 38 companies have been selected to receive support totalling $2.85M in funding.
The Slate Development Program is a selective program that supports Canadian Production Companies in building and diversifying their project slates by offering financial support for the development of original intellectual property.
This year’s cohort represents a strong cross-section of Canada’s production community, with a wide range of voices and creative visions. Of note:
- 114 original projects in development from companies in six provinces
- 58% of supported companies are majority-owned by individuals who are Indigenous and/or are from Diverse Communities;
- 55% of supported companies are majority-owned by individuals who are Women and/or Gender-diverse;
- 13% of supported companies are majority-owned by individuals from Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs);
- 47% of supported companies are regional and/or owned by emerging producers;
- Slates include projects in English, French and more than a dozen other languages, including Anishinaabemowin, Cree, Punjabi, and Italian.
Representing year-over-year increases in Indigenous- and Diverse Community-owned, Women- and Gender-diverse-owned, and OLMC-owned companies.
The selected slates span a broad mix of genres and formats, including drama, comedy, documentary, factual, reality and lifestyle and include live-action and animated one-offs and series for adult and children/youth audiences.
This year’s funded companies are collaborating with over 25 market interest partners including Canadian and international broadcasters, online streaming services, digital channels, and distributors.
The following companies received funding:
| Company Name | Province | Languages of Slate Projects |
|---|---|---|
| 3B Content Inc. | ON | English |
| Ammonite Media Inc. | ON | English |
| Apartment 11 Productions | QC | English, Anishinaabemowin |
| Big Bad Boo Studios | BC | English, French |
| Catapult Pictures Inc | AB | English |
| Ceres Productions Inc. | ON | English, Irish Gaelic |
| Fenix Film & Television | AB | English |
| Film Forge Production | ON | English |
| Fior Media | BC | English |
| Kistikan Pictures Inc. | MB | English |
| Plur TV Media Inc. | BC | English, French, Farsi |
| Lopii Productions Inc. | ON | English, ASL, Spanish |
| Melki Films Inc. | QC | English, Italian |
| Neighbourhood Watch Productions | ON | English |
| Omnifilm Entertainment Ltd. | BC | English |
| Rezolution Pictures International Inc. | QC | English, Inuttitut, Cree |
| Scarlett Ink | ON | English |
| Screen Siren Pictures | BC | English, Punjabi |
| Shaftesbury Development Inc. | ON | English, German, Hindi, Various Indigenous languages |
| Small Army Entertainment | BC | English |
| Story Lodge Media Inc. | ON | English,Michif, Cree, Inuktut, Nsyilxcen, Various Indigenous languages from across Turtle Island |
| The Artcraft Zoo Ltd. | ON | English |
| The Long Reach Company | ON | English |
| Wâhkôhtowin Media Inc. | ON | English, Cree |
| Windrun Media Inc. | ON | English |
| Attraction Images Inc. | QC | French |
| Chrystelle Maechler Productions Inc. | ON | French, English, Arabic |
| Connexions Productions Inc. | NS | French |
| Entourage Productions TV Inc. | QC | French |
| Groupe Juste pour divertir Inc. | QC | French |
| Les Productions Sovimage Inc. | QC | French, German |
| Mustang | QC | French |
| Pamplemousse Productions Inc. | QC | French |
| Productions J Inc. | QC | French, English, Spanish |
| Productions Jumelage Inc. | QC | French |
| Productions K8e Kuei Inc. | QC | Innu-aimun, French, French and English subtitles |
| Sphère Média Inc. | QC | French, English |
| URBANIA 3108 Inc. | QC | French |
This year’s Slate Development Program continues to offer greater flexibility for recipients to adapt their slates throughout the development process, helping ensure alignment with evolving market demands and increasing the potential for projects to move into production.
“As the market evolves, the producers who succeed will be the ones who own strong original IP and have it ready to go,” said Marcia Douglas, Executive Director at the Bell Fund. “This year’s recipients are already working with more than 25 broadcasters, streamers and distributors, and slate development helps make sure their Indigenous and Canadian stories are positioned for those opportunities and the ones still to come.”
About the Bell Fund
The Bell Fund is a not-for-profit organization certified by the CRTC as an independent production fund eligible to receive and administer contributions from broadcast distribution undertakings and online streaming services. The Fund is governed by a nine-member board operating at arm’s length from its contributors and has offices in Toronto and Montreal. Since 1997 the Bell Fund has received over $300 million in financial contributions from Bell to support Canadian producers in the development and production of great Canadian content.