INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION FUND (IPF) 2019 WEB DRAMA SERIES FUNDING DECISIONS

 In News

 

June 21, 2019

The Independent Production Fund announces funding for 12 scripted web series.

The IPF Board of Directors has approved 2019 production financing for twelve (12) scripted short-form series.  These are series which have been created for exploitation primarily on digital platforms and channels. Seven (7) of the approved series are in English and five (5) are in French.  Two (2) of the approved projects are for renewals for additional episodes of successful web series previously funded by the IPF.

The IPF makes equity investments in these series totaling over $1.5M as well as providing consultation, training and advisory services.

The IPF has previously funded 131 scripted short-form series with over $15M since 2010.  The program was created to stimulate Canadian creative and business skills in the digital story-telling world as well as encouraging and supporting new talent in the industry.  These series also serve as “calling cards” for the creative teams and as proof-of-concept “pilots” for potential television series. Successfully marketing and distributing this original linear digital content and the talents behind it, to Canadian and international audiences, is an important measure of success for this initiative.

In the initial evaluation phase, 160 projects were submitted to the IPF from across Canada.  These were reviewed by a 40-member pre-selection committee and 20 projects were selected and short-listed.  The applications from these finalists were analysed and rated by an international jury and the IPF Board of Directors, providing a wide range of perspectives.  They reviewed the originality and quality of the content, audience engagement strategies, production styles and processes, business and marketing plans, distribution and revenue potential.

The 2019 international jury included:  Joël Bassaget (Founder and Editor-in-Chief Web Series Mag  – FR), Fred Bastien (Web-TV host and YouTuber – CAN), Nathalie Dorais, (Content and Script Consultant, TV and Web – CAN), Steinar Ellingsen (Former Director and co-founder of Melbourne WebFest – AUS), Spencer Griffin (Head of TV Development for Just For Laughs – U), Alison Norrington (CEO, Founder, Chief Creative Director, storycentral – UK) and Dr. Emilia Zboralska (CEO and Co-founder of King Squared Media, and Associate Director of the Transmedia Zone – CAN).

Comedy, mockumentary, animation, music, thrillers, romance – a wide range of genres are represented for children and adult demographics. The creators are both new talents and experienced digital production companies. IPF Chair Jon Taylor commented: “Kudos to our international jury, the IPF staff and our Board for their incredible energy and hard work to select these amazing projects.  Congratulations to the incredibly talented creator teams whose submissions blew us away.  We look forward to watching!”

The following productions are the recipients of the IPF 2019 web drama series program:

Amours d’occasion
Mystery / Suspense
QC
Les Production Saint-Laurent Web
Lou Bélanger, Rafael Perez, Laurence Atkins
Avocado Toast
Comedy / Drama
ON
Border2Border Entertainment
Charlie David, Jefferson Mappin, Heidi Lynch, Perrie Voss
Band Ladies
Comedy / Musical
ON
Moon Astronaut Studios
Kate Fenton, Dana Puddicombe, Molly Flood, Melissa D’Agostino, Matthew Campagna
Decoys
Comedy
ON
Counterfeit Pictures
David Pelach, Anton Leo, Shane Corkery, Joyce Wong, Dan Bennett
For Heaven’s Sake
Comedy
ON
Muse Entertainment
Jonas Prupas, Courtney Dobbins, Mike Mildon, Jackson Rowe
Je voudrais qu’on m’efface
Drama
QC
Babel Films
Marco Frascarelli, Eric Piccoli, Philippe-A. Allard, Félix Rose
Kristal Clear (Season 2)
Comedy / Drama
ON
Kristal Clear Productions
Joshua Demers, Shannon Fewster, Amanda Fahey
Le Killing (saison 2)
Comedy
QC
la corp, KOTV
Mélanie Viau, Camille Montreuil
Les Fleuristes
Comedy / Drama
QC
UGO Média
Shawn Bedford, Nathalie Vézina, Lisa Tremblay, Patrick Bilodeau
Miikshi the Meek Sheep
Children’s Animation
ON
Gazelle Automations
Justin T. Lee, Lindsay Lee, Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Jennifer McCann
My Pride
Drama / Fantasy
ON
Dizzy Rhino Productions
Madeleine Patton
Top Dogs: Homicide
Comedy
QC
Koze Inc.
Vincent Chabot, Guillaume Lacelle

 

Jury 2019 Bio’s

Joel Bassaget

Joël Bassaget is a screenwriter, producer, blogger, columnist, speaker and author of several books on webseries. His most recent publication, now available on Amazon, Short, Narrative & Serialized: A Complete Guide to the Phenomenon Web Series, offers more than 450 pages of analysis and comparison on the history of short format series, formats, budgets, genres, platforms, audiences and themes, and 500 links to lists of series titles and episodes, statistical tables and hundreds of links to useful articles. In 2016, Joel published Le Guide des Webséries: La Nouvelle Vague, updated in 2018. He was co-author of Sériescopie : Guide thématique des séries télé in 2011 and 2012.

Follow Joël on http: //webseriesmag.blogs. liberation.fr/auteurs/Joel.Bassaget/

Fred Bastien

Fred is the Internet guy on TV and the TV guy on the Internet. His interests are many, as are topics on his YouTube channel, which is followed by more than 37,000 people. Excellent popularizer, Fred has been a columnist for RDS, MusiquePlus, Canal Vie, Z, ARTV, Urbania and Radio-Canada. His multiple talents have also been recognized by his nomination to the 30/30 Infopresse in 2017. Sometimes producer, sometimes director, he worked at the Rio Olympics and on various publicity contracts for television behind the camera. He was born on the Web and will stay there all his life.

Nathalie Dorais

Nathalie Dorais is a content and script consultant in the film, television and web industries. She has been a project manager in the drama sector of Radio-Canada and has also participated in the development of fiction web series for the Internet sector and digital services of the broadcaster.

Steinar Ellingson

Steinar Ellingsen is a senior lecturer in Journalism, and Communication and Media at the University of Wollongong (Australia). His current research is a long-term study on the value of web series to the screen ecology. He is a co-founder and former Director of Melbourne WebFest (MWF), Australia’s international web series festival.

Spencer Griffin

Spencer Griffin is currently the Head of TV Development for Just For Laughs. Previously, he has been an executive at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and Big Breakfast while also serving as an EP of Adam Ruins Everything, Hot Date, Middle of the Night Show, and more.

Alison Norrington

Alison Norrington is a writer &  Chief Creative Director of storycentral, an entertainment company that incubates and develops ground-breaking IP with global partners in film, television, animation, publishing, advertising, branding, theme parks, Virtual Reality and gaming.  Alison is Conference Chair for StoryWorld Conference, Exec Producer of Virtual Reality sessions for Children’s Media Conference, is a two-time TEDx speaker, featured on the BAFTA Guru series and is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, The Writers Guild of Great Britain and Women in Film & TV.

Dr. Emilia Zboralska

Dr. Emilia Zboralska is CEO and Co-founder of King Squared Media, and Associate Director of the Transmedia Zone, an incubator for innovation in media and storytelling at Ryerson University. Emilia’s award winning PhD research examines the world of Canadian web series and the opportunities and challenges that exist for creators working in this space.

 

The IPF is incorporated as a charitable foundation with an endowment valued at $35M.  It uses the interest generated by the endowment and return on its project investments for its annual operations and project funding.  In addition, it is certified by the CRTC as a Certified Independent Production Fund and is eligible to receive Broadcast Distribution Undertaking contributions.  Cogeco Connexion contributes $1.9M annually to the IPF to administer the Cogeco Television Production Program for investment in dramatic television series. The Board of Directors of the IPF is composed of independent representatives from the industry and undertakes all final funding decisions.

For further information:

Andra Sheffer
416 977 8966
asheffer@ipf.ca
www.ipf.ca

Claire Dion
514 845 4334
cdion@ipf.ca
www.ipf.ca/FIP