Documentary and Factual Development Fund Recipients Announced by Creative BC

Vancouver, B.C. (September 22, 2022) – Creative BC is pleased to name 15 grant recipients in the latest round of funding for the Documentary and Factual Development Fund, supported by Rogers Group of Funds. Each recipient will receive up to $20,000 for the development of B.C.-owned and controlled original motion picture projects. The successful recipients’ projects are either one-offs or series in documentary or factual formats.

This round of funding represents a $300K investment of $707K delivered to 68 recipients to-date through Creative BC and The Rogers Group of Funds ‘Documentary and Factual Development Fund’ (the Fund). Together, these investments into local storytellers’ content make a significant contribution to B.C.’s capacity to generate new documentary and factual stories for market in this globally in-demand format.

The Fund embodies Creative BC’s actions for equity and inclusion in program delivery. The Fund is part of the Reel Focus BC suite of programs delivered by Creative BC, designed to drive new domestic motion picture activity and the creation of B.C.-owned intellectual property. The partnership delivers essential support to documentary and factual content creators so they can participate and succeed in an increasingly competitive and dynamic marketplace.

Uniquely, this funding supports individual documentary and factual projects prior to their being greenlit by a market trigger, such as a broadcaster or streamer. This key feature removes barriers to entry by providing needed supports during early-stage development, thus enabling the creation of higher-quality bids to secure investors. Specifically, an additional new feature of this round provides continued support for projects that have previously received funding from Round One or Round Two of this program, where projects have progressed to receive significant interest in their development materials, with some demonstrable momentum towards production. Together, these features serve to nurture and support the next generation in storytelling for screen where projects can take anywhere from five to seven years for completion.

Creative BC is pleased to announce 15 recipients of its third intake for the early-stage investigation development program:

1. Adhel Productions, Katiba Banat – Sisters in Arms ($20,000 grant)
   A story of sisterhood, explored through the recollections of women who served together as child soldiers in the Second Sudanese Civil War.
2. AGA Films, Chemical Consent ($20,000 grant)
   After suffering sexual abuse during psychedelic therapy sessions, survivors and activists rise up to fight against the multibillion-dollar drug industry to protect other women from abuse.
3. Asog Films, Asog ($20,000 grant)
   REY is a non-binary Filipino comedian on a road trip to a drag pageant. En route they meet real Filipinos enduring the impacts of climate change.
4. Cedar Island Films, A Good War ($20,000 grant)
   A Good War is a documentary series, based on the bestselling book by Seth Klein, with an original and uniquely hopeful take on the climate change challenge facing our society.
5. Damien Eagle Bear, The Legend of Jim Wells III ($20,000 grant)
   An unfinished autobiography and a grandsons’ desire to fill in the gaps, The Legend of Jim Wells III follows Damien’s journey to rectify the myth he created of his late grandfather.
6. Diving Bell Films, At the Penthouse ($20,000 grant)
   AT THE PENTHOUSE tells the story of a notorious Vancouver nightclub that, for nearly a century, has endured as a haven for marginalized musicians and dancers. This feature-length genre bending documentary traces the social history and conflicting public response to such controversial public spaces.
7. Fat End Productions, Dishing ($20,000 grant)
   Dishing is an irreverent half-hour docuseries that explores the delicious intersection of food & LGBTQ2S+ culture.
8. Kate Green Productions, Safe Haven ($17,725 grant)
   The untold story of Ted McLaren, a young gay man from rural Saskatchewan who moved to the West Coast to find freedom, only to become a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ liberation movement and namesake of Canada’s first housing society for HIV/AIDS patients.

9. Experimental Forest Films and Lantern Films, Nechako ($20,000 grant)
   In the wake of the damming of the Nechako River and a looming court decision, two communities form an unlikely alliance to rebuild their Nations.

10. Opus 59 Films, King Arthur’s Night ($20,000 grant)
    A genre-defying documentary film about a medieval musical play created by an amazing company of artists living with and without Down Syndrome.
11. PK Studio Productions, Queer and Muslim ($20,000 grant)
    Exploring identities of people who are Muslim and Queer and the conflict between personal identity vs traditional values. Can Queer people also be of faith? Searching for a way to be our full selves?
12. self-directed studies, FREEWAY ’67 ($20,000 grant)
    In the 1960s, an unlikely coalition of grassroots organizers took on corporations and government to protest a freeway and save their homes from demolition—halting urban renewal and making Vancouver the only major North American city without a freeway.
13. SILO Entertainment, Clan of the Painted Lady ($20,000 grant)
    A Hakka-Chinese Canadian contends with the disappearance of her two ancestral communities in China and India. She sets off on a journey to discover the story of her past and traces the footsteps to find out where she’s from – and where she belongs.
14. Spirit of 84 Films, “Untitled” ($20,000 grant)
    A coming of age story of three young friends set in Southeast Europe. Juxtaposing adolescent hijinks and athletic aspirations with regional brinkmanship and conflict, the documentary captures a generation on the cusp of adulthood in uncertain times.
15. Wapanatahk Media, Indigenous Bucket List ($20,000 grant)
    Join two bestselling authors, renowned adventurers and remarkable personalities as they journey to every province and territory in search of the “The Great Indigenous Bucketlist” experiences – and people – that make Canada worth exploring.

For more information on the Rogers Group of Funds and Creative BC Documentary and Factual Development Fund visit Creative BC’s website: https://creativebc.com/services/funding-programs/domestic-motion-picture-programs/reel-focus-bc/documentary-factual-development-fund/

Quotes:
Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
“Congratulations to the recipients of the Documentary and Factual Development Fund!”, said Melanie Mark, Hli Haykwhl ?ii Xsgaak, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “Through a unique partnership with the Rogers Group of Funds, this investment empowers filmmakers in B.C. as they start to build their dream project, and bring their stories to the global stage. I am proud of what these recipients have accomplished, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

Prem Gill, CEO, Creative BC
“Creative BC is proud to announce these 15 recipients from a third round of support for the development of a broad range of documentary and factual content. The partnership with Rogers Group of Funds is tremendously valuable to this specialized community of creators in B.C. who are now advancing 68 projects in total to date – all without a market trigger, reducing barriers to participation, and helping B.C.’s domestic independent producers at all career stages to pursue the creation of high-quality, original, market-ready content.”

Robin Mirsky, Executive Director, Rogers Group of Funds
“Rogers Group of Funds is proud to continue investing in storytellers who are creating thought-provoking content that showcases the breadth and diversity of Canadian voices. Each of these recipients demonstrates that independent production is thriving, with even more opportunities to build greater awareness and education on the history and cultures of equity-deserving communities.”

Panta Mosleh, Producer/Writer/Director, PK Studio Productions Inc. | Program Recipient
“Thank you to Creative BC for creating such a wonderful program to foster diverse creators who often have their voices and stories overlooked in the media. The province and Creative BC are creating a wonderful platform for filmmakers like myself and supporting us by help kickstart our careers. I am excited to embark on this journey and see the other diverse creators’ projects flourish.”

Media Contacts:
Lisa Escudero
Creative BC
media@creativebc.com
604-730-2235

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About Creative BC
Creative BC is an independent society created and supported by the provincial government to sustain and help grow British Columbia’s creative industries: motion picture, interactive and digital media, music and sound recording, and magazine and book publishing. The organization delivers a wide range of programs and services with a mandate to expand B.C.’s creative economy. These activities include administration of the provincial government’s motion picture tax credit programs, delivery of program funding and export marketing support for the sector, and provincial film commission services. Combined, these activities serve to attract inward investment and market B.C. as a partner and destination of choice for domestic and international content creation. The society acts as an industry catalyst and ambassador to help B.C.’s creative sector reach its economic, social, environmental, and creative potential both at home and globally. Website: www.creativebc.com

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View the list of recipients on the Creative BC Knowledge Hub