GATINEAU, February 11, 2022

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting sectors of our economy that have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, along with Christa Dickenson, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, announced a second extension of the Short-Term Compensation Fund for Canadian audiovisual productions. While it is encouraging that many productions have already resumed thanks to the Fund’s support, there is still a pressing need for this program, especially as the public health situation continues to evolve.

That’s why Telefilm Canada will continue to provide as much as $150 million in compensation until 2023 to production companies whose filming has been interrupted or abandoned as a result of a COVID-19 diagnosis or outbreak.

Canada has an exceptional and resilient film and television industry. These artists and producers have been particularly affected by production stoppages due to COVID-19. Since the pandemic began in 2020, the Government of Canada has extended the Fund twice in order to respond to the ongoing need for support.

The Fund is a temporary emergency measure to address the lack of insurance coverage in the Canadian film and television production industry. The Government will continue to help support a strong recovery for artists and producers in this important industry. The Fund will end on March 31, 2023, three years after the start of the pandemic. We expect that the audiovisual production industry and insurers will move beyond emergency short-term measures to develop a longer-term solution.