Film & TV Development

Investment Streams, Deadlines & Processing Time

Pre-Development Stream: currently on hiatus

First Draft Stream

Opening date: June 1, 2023
Deadline: Closes when funding is exhausted.

Assists with costs related to continuing development (e.g. taking a script treatment to an outline or first draft) of projects that have secured development monies from a eligible source (e.g. broadcaster or distributor.)
First and Final Draft Development streams will be offered on a first-come first-served basis and supported based on the availability of funds.
Applicants and their parent companies are limited to two First or Final Draft Development grants (or combination thereof) per fiscal year.

Final Draft Stream

Opening date: June 1, 2023
Deadline: Closes when funding is exhausted.

Assists with costs related to continuing development (e.g. script polish, and pre-production activities) of projects that have secured development monies from an eligible source (e.g. broadcaster or distributor.)
First and Final Draft Development streams will be offered on a first-come first-served basis and supported based on the availability of funds.
Applicants and their parent companies are limited to two First or Final Draft Development grants (or combination thereof) per fiscal year.

Slate Development Stream

Opening date: September 1, 2023
Deadline: December 7, 2023

Assists with costs related to development of two to five eligible film or television projects with the potential to leverage development financing from other funding agencies and the private sector.
Eligible applicants may apply to Creative Saskatchewan for a maximum of $40,000 or 75% of the total development cash budget (for this phase), whichever is the lesser.
In order to be considered eligible for Slate, applicants must have at minimum one-hour of commercially distributed content (for animation, applicants must have at minimum one half-hour of commercially distributed content) created and made available to audiences in the past two years (applicant companies must demonstrate ownership of the property).
Applications are internally assessed against published assessment criteria.
Applications are scored and ranked. Based on the ranking, available funds are committed until exhausted. In the event of a tie, the funds will be divided equally between the tied applications.

Applicants can expect to receive results within 8 weeks from deadline date.

All deadlines close at 4:00 PM Saskatchewan time. If a deadline falls on a statutory holiday or a weekend, applications will be accepted until 4:00 PM the following business day.

Results will be delivered via e-mail and will be available in GMS

Our Investment

Saskatchewan Production Requirement

Creative Saskatchewan’s financial commitment shall be a grant for projects that proceed into production within Saskatchewan. However, recipients will be required to re-pay the grant in the following instances:

In the case of dramatic projects, where less than 50% of principal photography and/or 75% of post-production occurs within the province.
For non-dramatic projects, where less than 50% of post-production takes place in Saskatchewan.

Are you Eligible?

Filmmaker Grant - Sm - Production - Creative Saskatchewan

General Program Guidelines

Important details that apply to all Creative Saskatchewan grants.

Film & TV Development Guidelines

The official guidelines supersede all information contained elsewhere on this website, delivered to applicants by Program Advisors, or otherwise made publicly available.

Please note that if ineligible expenses (outlined in the Guidelines above) exceed 50% of the project budget, the application will be deemed ineligible.

Activities that receive funding from SK Arts or SaskCulture are not eligible for support through Creative Saskatchewan investment programs.

Application Tips & Process

Assessment Criteria – First and Final Draft

Assessment Criteria – Slate Stream

You’ll be asked these questions as part of the online Grant Management System application process, pay close attention to the maximum number of points available!

Tip – Looking for co-production partners or suppliers in Saskatchewan? View a list here.

Tip – Grant writing webinars are available on our YouTube channel

Apply now

Book a consult Our Film Department is happy to walk you through eligibility criteria, tips for success, and best practices.

What’s new for 2023?

The pre-development stream remains on hiatus.
Creative Saskatchewan’s financial commitment shall be a grant for projects that proceed into production within Saskatchewan. Recipients will be required to re-pay the grant where less than 50% of principal photography and/or 75% of post-production occurs within the province for dramatics projects, and where less than 50% of post-production takes place in Saskatchewan for non-dramatic projects.
Slate Stream now allows the inclusion of co-productions. For this stream, co-productions can make up to 50% of the development budget. Co-productions must demonstrate that a minimum of 50% copyright is owned by the applicant.
The following temporary changes are in place due to COVID-19:
- Film development grants will temporarily permit related-party transactions to be included in eligible expenses.

What happens after I’m approved?

50% of the approved funds are provided to successful applicants when they sign the letter of agreement.
The remaining 50% of the funds are delivered after the project is complete, and we’ve approved your final report.
Don’t forget to acknowledge the support you’ve received from Creative Saskatchewan by following our guide here.

John Hopkins Regina Soundstage

Check out our purpose-built, state of the art industry production studios here.

Locations

Saskatchewan’s weather, skies, and communities are as varied as its grasslands, forests, rivers, and lakes. Take a look at our location gallery for your next production!

Co-production partners and suppliers in Saskatchewan

View a list of Saskatchewan companies interested and available for co-production partnerships here.

Per Diem, Mileage & Exchange Rates

For information on per diem, mileage, exchange rates, accommodations, and currency conversion requirements, please click here.

Success Stories Recent Investments

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