BRITISH COLUMBIA PRODUCTION INCENTIVES
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada. Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts and grassy plains.
British Columbia Film, Television & Digital Media Incentives and Funding
The BC Arts Council (BCAC) was created in 1995 as an agency of the Province of British Columbia under the Arts Council Act. The BCAC nurtures and supports arts and cultural activity in communities across British Columbia. From community arts in rural and urban centres, to individual artists, professional performing arts companies, Indigenous artists and cultural organizations, art galleries, local museums and music festivals – BCAC supports a range of activities while engaging with artists and communities to inform policies and programs.
- Individual Arts Grants: Media Artists
Individual Arts Grants: Media Artists assists independent media artists with the creation of specific projects. Projects and works must be independent of commercial industries for film, video, and gaming. Find out more info here. - Project Assistance: Media Arts Organizations
Project Assistance: Media Arts Organizations supports eligible organizations and arts and curatorial collectives in the development, expansion or enhancement, and creation of new or unique independent media arts programming and community engagement initiatives. Projects and works must be independent of commercial industries for film, video, and gaming. Find out more info here. - Early Career Development
Early Career Development supports immersive and highly impactful opportunities, with measurable outcomes, for emerging and early career practitioners to develop their artistic or administrative practice; participate in knowledge transfer, skill sharing, and reciprocal learning in the sector; expand their career experience, and professional networks and exposure; and build capacity in their identified community(ies), e.g., geographic, cultural, area of practice, etc. Find out more info here.
Find out more: BC Arts Council
Creative BC funding programs drive the creation and export of domestic creative content. From development support to international trade fair presence, their programs and activities aim to optimize funding opportunities for projects and companies; grow B.C.'s ecosystem of support in which creative entrepreneurs can thrive; and give B.C.'s creative industries access to the national supports and international markets that will increase our province's success in the sector.
- Reel Focus BC
The Reel Focus BC funding streams support B.C content creators or B.C.-based production companies with financial support for development and production of B.C. owned and controlled IP.
Documentary + Factual Development Fund - Creative BC + Rogers Group of Funds development phase funding for documentary series and factual series formats. Find out more info here.
Equity + Emerging Development - Targeted development phase funding for emerging and equity-seeking filmmakers. Find out more info here.
Rogers Indigenous Film Fund - Canada's first provincial-national partnership focused on Indigenous creators, and the first targeted Indigenous screen fund. Find out more info here.
Production Program - Production phase funding for longer form scripted feature-length films or documentary and factual one-offs or series. Find out more info here.
Project Development Fund - Providing market triggered development financing to BC owned and controlled projects. Find out more info here.
Slate Development - Supporting company growth of mid-level and experienced B.C. based production companies. Find out more info here.
STORYHIVE Top-Ups - Creative BC + TELUS STORYHIVE Top-Ups for local filmmaker editions. Find out more info here. - Motion Picture Co-Production
With a reputation for excellence in film, Canada is valuable partner in co-production, holding bi-lateral agreements with close to 60 countries. Find out more info here. - MPIAA Short Film Award
MPIAA, Creative BC and the Whistler Film Festival Society support emerging filmmakers to develop their directing career with a short film project, Find out more info here. - Past Programs - view past programs from Creative BC here.
Find out more: Creative BC
Film Incentive BC (FIBC) is a refundable corporate income tax credit. When filing tax returns, your corporation may claim a specified percentage of the labour costs incurred while making a production. The credits are applied to reduce tax payable, and any remaining balance is paid to the corporation.
Please note that your production corporation must apply to Creative BC to receive an eligibility and completion certificate for your production. In order to claim FIBC tax credits, your production corporation must file a corporate income tax return, along with the certificates, with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Find out more by visiting the Creative BC website.
Canada also offers numerous funding options and incentives at a national level. Click here to see what's available.