Speaking the Language of Television and Film Financing: Program Review

  • 05 juin 2021
  • Karin Kazakevich

In May, the OBA Entertainment, Media and Communications Law Section hosted its first of two sessions on film and television financing in Canada. Section Executive Cheryl Grossman (Cheryl Grossman Entertainment Law) hosted the event and welcomed a panel of well-known leaders in the field to discuss current trends in the world of production financing. The panel featured Ken Dhaliwal (Partner, Dentons), Kelly Jenkins (Senior Director, Media Finance, BMO), Ryan Keller (VP, Business Affairs, New Metric Media), Jason Meloche (Account Manager, Creative Industries Group, National Bank), and Kelly Payne (Director of Business Affairs, Production Funding, Blue Ant Studios Canada Inc). The second session in the program will be taking place on Thursday, June 3rd.

Financing a television series or film in Canada invites a unique array of opportunities and challenges. From tax credits to treaty co-productions to private financing and everything in between, there are many avenues to bring a production to life. Likewise, there are many players who are critical to the financing mission including producers, lawyers, accountants, banks and production companies. As key industry players continue to expand in Canada, it is essential that producers and their lawyers speak the language of film financing.

Here are just some of the popular terms you need to know in this industry and what they mean for your production: