Advisory Committee

On March 2, 2012, Telefilm Canada announced the launch of the Talent Fund; a new private donation fund with the goal of helping to foster the success of Canadian cinema. The fund draws on the financial support of companies as well as individual donors interested in supporting the production, distribution, and promotion of Canadian feature films. Recently designated a Certified Independent Production Fund by the CRTC, and therefore eligible to receive contributions from the Canadian broadcasting system, the Talent Fund has a goal to reach an annual budget of $5 million every year.

Telefilm Canada is pleased to have an Advisory Committee of distinguished Canadian philanthropists with a mandate to help assist Telefilm in maximizing exposure for the Fund. The mandate of Committee members is to champion the Fund with potential donors, encouraging them to donate to support promising, emerging, and established filmmakers achieve their full potential both in Canada and abroad. Committee members will be invited to serve for a term of two to three years. The Committee will meet with Telefilm’s Board members once a year during the course of one of its Board meetings. Advisory Committee members are asked to participate in conference calls up to four times a year if needed with the Director of The Talent Fund and Telefilm’s Executive Director. Sheila O’Gorman, an expert professional fundraiser acts as an ongoing resource to the Committee. In particular, she seeks their participation in the development of strategies to promote the Talent Fund in all regions of Canada.

While Ms. O’Gorman will ensure the optimum use of the Committee’s valuable time to this important endeavor, Telefilm will provide access to the following tools: fact sheets, FAQs, pitch presentations, and regular press releases. A strong communications presence has also been developed for the Talent Fund, including: a website highlighting the participation of Committee members with biographies and photos, and custom letterhead highlighting the names of the Committee members. Telefilm will also ensure that Committee members have access to Canada’s most successful films of the year (via DVDs and industry events). We look forward to the participation of Committee members in our collective goal to promote Canadian talent and to ensure Canada’s leadership in the global film industry.