NZ On Air and the Canada Media Fund (CMF) announced today a financing incentive of CAD $515,000 for two digital media co-production projects under the New Zealand-Canada Digital Media Fund.
The following projects will receive funding as part of this incentive:
A Paper World by Signal Space Inc & Kiwa Digital. NZ On Air funding up to $130,366 (CAD$). CMF funding up to $97,151 (CAD$). Total: up to $227,517(CAD$).
Hide & Seek with Kiri and Lou by Yowza Animation Corp & Kiri and Lou Ltd. NZ On Air funding up to $189,990 (CAD$) CMF funding up to $97,806 (CAD$). Total: up to $287,797 (CAD$).
Now in its fourth year, this partnership between NZ On Air and the Canada Media Fund (CMF) supports eligible digital media coproductions between producers from the two countries. By funding projects that use new technologies to tell culturally-relevant stories, the programme is designed to encourage creative producers from each country to collaborate on digital media productions.
Projects were evaluated and chosen by a selection committee composed of representatives from each funding organisation. Funded projects involve at least one eligible Canadian producer and at least one New Zealand resident producer.
A success story
A clear example of the tangible success of the New Zealand-Canada Digital Media Fund is the cross-border interactive documentary: I Spy (With My Five Eyes). A collaboration between Toronto’s Jam3 and Auckland’s Fumes, the project received $400K in total funding in 2014-2015.
I Spy explores the way five major English-speaking nations (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States) share online information with one another for international security purposes. The documentary’s innovative approach allows the audience to select which part of the story they want to see next; they have the choice of how deep into the story they want to go.
The project was very well received by audiences and was awarded Gold at the ADCC Awards in the Best Overall Website category and Silver in the Education and Information category. Jam3 also took home the Interactive Agency of the Year award. For an in-depth feature on this project, visit CMF Trends.
About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, promotes, develops and finances the production of Canadian content and relevant applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment through fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through industry and private sector partnerships. To learn more, please visit cmf-fmc.ca.