Toronto, (Ontario), Montréal (Québec), July 28, 2020.  The board of directors of the Bell Fund has announced its decisions for the June 15, 2020 round of applicants. Over $2.7million in funding has been approved including over $700K to support the discoverability plans for the series. Supporting audience engagement strategies is a priority for the fund. 

Bell Fund is excited to support 15 independent production companies from British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec for 9 English-language and 6 French-language projects.  

1. The following Englishlanguage projects received non-repayable contributions for production and discoverability under Bell Fund’s Short-Form Digital Series programAudiences will be able to enjoy 6 fiction and 3 non-fiction projects.

Short Form Digital Series
Auto Aficionado
N5 Pictures Inc
PetrolTV - YouTube
10 x 10 min
From exotic super cars to a drag racing school bus in Lambton Shores, Ontario, 'Auto Aficionado' brings you Canada's coolest cars and the people who drive them. Explore remarkable inventions, iconic personalities, and the tantalizing aesthetics that ignite our passion for great machines.
Dating Unlocked
Border2Border Entertainment
OUTtvGo
10 x 15 min
In Dating Unlocked, LGBTQ daters are matched and given the opportunity to accelerate the dating process. What if, on a first date, you were given a key to unlock parts of each other’s lives that might otherwise be kept hidden for months, years or possibly forever? Will the truth lead to a second date or a stale mate?
From the Shadows
Hammer & Tong
APTN lumi
6 x 5 min
A horror series about a Métis-Cree hunting guide, stranded in the deep wilderness who finds herself at the mercy of a secluded religious sect that is harboring dark secrets and an ancient evil.
Gay Mean Girls S2
Gearshift Films
KindaTV - YouTube
8 x 12 min
In season two of this queer, coming of age dramedy, Savannah pursues a story for the yearbook about Gay Prom Royalty and uncovers a queer “safe space” with more than a few skeletons in its closet. After becoming romantically entangled with its leader, Savannah must choose between betraying her community, and the integrity of her voice.
NarcoLeap S2
KGP Films
Highball.TV
6 x 15 min
A sci fi series about Kelsey, a 25-year-old loner with narcolepsy, who is thrust into a world of espionage when she discovers that during her lucid dreams, she is commandeering the bodies of real people across the globe.
Revenge of the Black Best Friend
iThentic
CBC Gem
6 x 10 min
A comedic anthology series that follows Dr. Toni Shakur, a self-help guru whose (self-proclaimed) mission is to end the entertainment industry's reliance on token Black characters, but what happens when a mission becomes a very profitable brand?
Tokens S2
A Token Entertainment Company
Tokens On Call - YouTube
10 x 6 min
Tokens is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about the actors of an on call casting agency, specializing in diversity, who find themselves randomly dispatched to productions desperate to hit their diversity quotas, often cast in a role they least expect.
Unknown Canada
Tattle Inc.
Tattle - YouTube
16 x 8 min
Seasoned backpacker Andy Mo meets with an assortment of passionate locals in Western Canada, allowing viewers to experience the outdoor adventures, cultural diversity, and best-kept secrets that make the region so special.
Watch TV
Kelly & Kelly
CBC Gem
6 x 15 min
Watch TV hilariously reimagines Slow TV by infusing it with captivating characters, whimsical storylines, and meticulously crafted physical comedy.

2. The following French-language projects received non-repayable contributions under the Bell Fund’s Short-Form Digital Series program:   

For further details on the projects below, please see our French language website: fondsbell.ca 

Short Form Digital Series
1111 - La mélancolite
Must Média
ICI Tou.tv
10 x 8 min
Décoloniser l'histoire
Picbois Productions
Société Télé-Québec
10 x 5 min
Félix, Maude et la fin du monde
Trio Orange
ICI Tou.tv
10 x 13 min
Fragments
Urbania
Urbania.ca
60 x 4 min
Ici comme nulle part ailleurs
1 ou 2 Cocktails

Page Facebook de 1 ou 2 Cocktails
8 x 10 min
Vivre ensemble
Eurêka! Productions
Savoir Média
12 x 14 min

For further information:

Bell Fund
416-977-8154
info@bellfund.ca
www.bellfund.ca

Fonds Bell
514-845-4418
info@fondsbell.ca
www.fondsbell.ca