Executive Director Carolle Brabant spoke to the success achieved by the 73 Talent Fund-supported first projects since its inception in 2012.
“When we first launched the program, I thought of it as ‘the right to fail program’ – meaning that the recipients would have the financial support to innovate, possibly make mistakes, and above all else learn” said Ms. Brabant in her speech. “Five years later, this program and the projects that have resulted from it have surpassed my wildest dreams. Through this program, we have funded 73 debut feature films and narrative web content projects that have won about 90 national and international awards.”
Ms. Brabant then announced an expansion to the Micro-Budget Production Program called Talent to Watch. The goal of this new program is to build a national, more inclusive program to support a greater number of first feature films from all regions across the country. To close out its 50th anniversary, Telefilm pledged to support 50 first projects every year.
“This is exceptional news for emerging talent, offering even more opportunities for creators to tell their stories,” said Hartley T. Richardson, Chair of the Talent Fund. “Since its launch, the Talent Fund has received strong support from notable Canadian corporations, including its principal partners Bell Media and Corus Entertainment. This program expansion is the perfect opportunity for the Fund to attract more partners to be part of this amazing mission and share our passion: support the discovery and career progression of emerging Canadian talent.”
Ms. Brabant was interviewed by the Globe and Mail about this momentous announcement.
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