Toronto and Montreal, August 23, 2024:
The Board of Directors of the Bell Fund has announced its decisions for the June 18, 2024 Short-Form Digital Series Production Program deadline. The Bell Fund has committed $2.2 million to the production of 11 short-form digital series (seven English and four French), including $1.65 million for production and $550,000 for audience development.
The Bell Fund Short-Form Digital Series Production Program supports short-form original series produced for online platforms available to Canadians. This program supports drama, comedy, documentary, factual, lifestyle and live-action children’s and youth programming.
The 11 projects include seven drama/comedy series and four documentaries with support from a variety of platforms including APTN – Lumi, Hollywood Suite, OUTtv, Téléquebec.tv, Tou.tv and the marbleKids and Sportsnet YouTube Channels.
The Bell Fund is committed to supporting equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and enabling producers and creators from across Canada, emerging and established, to tell their stories.
In this round, 18% of the funded series are from companies located in regions outside of Ontario and Quebec, including Alberta and British Columbia.
73% of funded companies are majority-owned by individuals from Indigenous and/or diverse communities (including Black, Racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, and/or Persons with Disabilities).
27% of funded companies are majority-owned by individuals who self-identify as women or gender-diverse.
55% of projects have key creative teams comprised of individuals who are from Diverse Communities and/or are women or gender diverse.
Regional and/or Emerging companies constitute 45% of applications supported. Projects are primarily in English and French, and some of the projects include other languages (Nsyilxcən, Hul’q’umi’num, Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Blackfoot). All the selected projects are undertaking initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment.
1.1. The following English-language series received funding under the Bell Fund Short-Form Digital Series Production Program:
| Short-Form Digital Series (English-language) |
|---|
| Bannock Stops Little Bear Big Wolf Pictures Corp., ON APTN - Lumi 6 x 11 min – Documentary |
| A captivating documentary series, 'Bannock Stops' follows passionate Indigenous food truck owners as they overcome personal challenges and bridge cultural divides by sharing their rich culinary heritage with diverse communities. |
| Dying Seconds Dying Seconds Season One Inc., ON YouTube - Sportsnet 6 x 15 min – Drama, Comedy |
| Kevin was just handed the general manager position of the Hamilton Hammers hockey team. But he's also the main suspect of the late GM's grizzly murder! Dying Seconds is a 6 x 15min whodunit comedy about winning at all costs. Even if it kills you. |
| I Love Being Me! GAPC Entertainment Inc., ON YouTube - marbleKids 8 x 7 min – Documentary |
| I Love Being Me! is an early school-age documentary style series that brings us into the worlds of children who are often seen as ‘other’ or ‘different’. In each 7-minute episode, the children act as guides for our audience as we playfully explore the richness of language, culture, and diversity. |
| Pass the Salt PK Studio Productions Inc, BC OUTtv, Hollywood Suite 6 x 20 min – Comedy |
| A traditionally raised, queer Iranian-Palestinian Muslim Canadian leaves her hometown of Vancouver to explore her identity and navigate her first year at grad school in Montreal. |
| Streams Flow From A River, Season 2 Fae Pictures STREAMS Inc., ON Super Channel 6 x 15 min - Drama |
| A mother’s illness leads a wayward son back to his rural Ontario town after seven years, uncovering repressed memories of past abuse in his community and a quiet desire for revenge that may tear his family apart. |
| Tales From the Rez, Season 2 Tales from the Rez S2 Inc., AB APTN - Lumi 6 x 15 min – Comedy |
| Come listen as The Rez Keeper Uncle Randalf brings forth the terribly twisted and delightfully creepy Tales From The Rez. |
| Thread Archipelago Productions, ON OUTtv 8 x 11 min – Drama |
| A young queer couple must cross a myriad of worlds in search of love and freedom while running for their lives from an interdimensional hunter. |
1.2. The following French-language series received funding under the Bell Fund Short-Form Digital Series Production Program:
| Short-Form Digital Series (French-language) |
|---|
| Ayer’s Cliff Roméo et fils, QC TOU.TV 7 x 15 min – Comédie dramatique |
| Le jeune palefrenier / barman Henri et son célèbre oncle, le chanteur Martin Stevens sont mêlés à une histoire de meurtre dans leur petit village Ayer's Cliff. Dans une vie fictive empruntant le nom et l'image de l'icone disco, une série de péripéties déboule tout au long de l'enquête. |
| Cœur Vintage Saison 2 Zone3 Inc., QC TOU.TV 8 x 10 min - Drame |
| Cœur vintage raconte l’histoire de Pauline, une quarantenaire passionnée de littérature, mais enlisée dans une vie frustrante et monotone. Pour éviter d’affronter ses déceptions professionnelles et existentielles, elle fait appel à l’autodérision et à la sagesse des mots des autres pour nourrir sa quête de sens et se réaliser enfin. |
| Le bogue de l’an 2000 Picbois Productions, QC Telequebec.tv 8 x 11 min – Documentaire |
| Le bogue de l’an 2000 est une série web documentaire de 6 épisodes qui revisite cet événement 25 ans plus tard. Avec nostalgie et humour, elle explore pourquoi ce non-événement a marqué les esprits, en utilisant des témoignages et des archives pour tirer des leçons pertinentes pour aujourd'hui. |
| On joue ! avec Biscuit et Cassonade Saison 3 Echo Media, QC Telequebec.tv 32 x 7 min – Jeunesse, prise de vue réelle |
| On joue! avec Biscuit et Cassonade est une série amusante et inspirante pour les enfants d'âge préscolaire. Dans chaque épisode, Biscuit, Cassonade et leur gardienne Caroline invitent les tout petits à nourrir leur créativité et explorer le jeu symbolique à travers une nouvelle aventure. |
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. 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 $275 million in financial contributions from Bell TV to support Canadian independent producers in the development and production of great Canadian content.
For any questions, please contact:
Bell Fund
416-977-8154
info@bellfund.ca
www.bellfund.ca
Fonds Bell
514-845-4418
info@fondsbell.ca
www.fondsbell.ca