CMF has pledged to channel US$245 million into the Canadian media industry during its 2025/2026 fiscal year, which kicked off on April 1. And the funding body is making several changes designed to provide more support for kids & family content, in particular. 

The most significant of these changes are new carve-outs that offer a guaranteed minimum amount of funding by drawing 10% from the program budgets controlled by ERPB, the Quebec French Regional Production Incentive, the Anglophone Minority Incentive and the Francophone Minority Program. 

Another key change is that international broadcasters/streamers are now allowed to contribute up to 25% of the minimum financial commitment required to unlock CMF funding. This means productions that have secured a Canadian broadcaster/distributor to cover 75% can lean on a non-Canadian broadcaster/streamer to get them over the eligibility finish line. 

Kids & family productions in development can also look forward to more financial support this year. The maximum contribution is being increased from 50% to 75% of a project’s budget, or US$145,000 (whichever is lower). 

CMF’s 2024/2025 fiscal budget was roughly US$258 million, and even though this year’s budget is lower by US$13 million, the amount the fund has to spend and the changes it’s making should help to motivate and encourage buyers and investors to pay attention to the kids market, says CMF president and CEO Valerie Creighton. “This allows us to respond to the pressure points instead of just looking at the declines and the doom and gloom,” she says. “With these changes, we can incentivize anyone who finances kids content with more flexibility.” 

“Kids are today’s audience and, more importantly, the future’s storytellers,” Creighton adds. “Stories about our culture, identity and values need to be in the mix and available among the multitude of choices kids watch on platforms.” 

Image courtesy of Jp Valery via Unsplash.