Prince Edward Island Film Production Fund

The Prince Edward Island Film Production Fund (“Fund”) supports the development and growth of the private-sector film and television industry in Prince Edward Island.  The Fund provides a financial incentive to make Prince Edward Island a competitive location for productions and encourages the development, training and hiring of Prince Edward Island film personnel.  

PEI’s objective is to increase the volume of service and local productions to:

• Increase the visibility of Prince Edward Island on screens;
• Grow the skilled labour pool and support the development of PEI creative industries and workers; 
• Build the capacity of the domestic PEI film and television production industry; and 
• Provide PEI producers with an opportunity to be more competitive in attracting financing and co-production opportunities.

The Fund provides this support via a rebate of 32-35% of eligible Prince Edward Island expenditures for work completed in Prince Edward Island.  Applications must be submitted prior to the beginning of production.

PEI Film Production Fund will be available beginning April 1, 2021, until March 31, 2024, at which time it will be evaluated. 
Please read the PEI Film Production Fund (PEIFPF) Guidelines for complete information and eligibility criteria. 

Who is eligible for film funding?

Applications will be accepted from companies that:

• have as their principal business the production of film and television
• demonstrate that their main activity is the creation of productions available for public viewing 
• are incorporated in Canada, either federally or provincially
• applicants, shareholders and related companies must be in good standing with Innovation PEI (must not have overdue reporting) and the Province of Prince Edward Island (does not appear in the Central Default Registry)

Distributors, broadcasters or other issuers of commercial license agreements (including online distributor or aggregator) are not eligible to apply.

The PEI Film Production Fund (PEIFPF) may be used for co-productions.  For treaty co-productions, the Fund is applicable to the Canadian only portions as per the guidelines set out in Canada’s existing treaty co-production agreements.

New project submissions from an applicant in default on any reporting, project completion or financial obligation to Innovation PEI will not be reviewed until a resolution to the default is reached.

What projects are eligible for funding?

Productions must be new productions; repackaging or re-versioning of previously completed productions will not be accepted.

Productions must have a commercial license agreement.

The amount of money spent in Prince Edward Island for the production must be at least $25,000 before HST.

Innovation PEI expects all projects to be finished and made available for audiences.  To be eligible for the PEI Film Media Fund, the producer must provide written evidence of a Commercial License Agreement for the production.  

There are no content requirements, other than for productions for which a Film or Video Production Certificate from CAVCO will be sought.

What activities will the fund support?

Supported activities are those accepted as industry standard activities within the pre-production, production and post-production stages; development activities are not supported activities.

Examples of qualifying productions are television, cinema, or streaming productions where the subject is drama, variety, animated or informational series, or documentary (not exhaustive).

Eligible costs include all direct expenditures where the good or service is purchased from a Prince Edward Island–based supplier with a permanent physical establishment within Prince Edward Island, and is leased, used, provided, or consumed in Prince Edward Island. Wages paid to Prince Edward Island residents are eligible costs.  

The Fund includes a provision for deemed labour, when no PEI resident is available and qualified to fill a technical role.  Deemed labour must be pre-approved by Innovation PEI to be an eligible cost, and cannot exceed 30% of eligible PEI labour costs; please review the Guidelines for full information.
The value of in-kind contribution is not considered an eligible Prince Edward Island expense.  Capital items are not considered an eligible Prince Edward Island expense. 

What is the level of assistance available? 

The Fund provides a base rebate of 32% of eligible costs for work completed in Prince Edward Island.  

An increase to the rate is available through the following bonuses:

PEI Production Bonus:  1 percentage point for productions by PEI producers, or co-productions where the PEI producer has at least 25% control;
Series Production Bonus:  2 percentage points for series productions 

What criteria are used to evaluate funding applications?

In addition to meeting eligibility requirements, the level of Innovation PEI’s financial participation is based upon a number of factors:

• Capacity of the production team to complete the project, on budget and within the time frame proposed by the applicant;
• The economic impact of the project in Prince Edward Island;
• The creation of employment and training opportunities for PEI residents;
• Leverage of funds from the private sector and from outside Prince Edward Island;
• Project size and scope;
• Broadcast licenses and distribution agreements;
• Available budget.

Applicants in arrears with any government department or crown corporation will be disqualified.

Innovation PEI reserves the right to deny a grant application or request for payment if it suspects or detects fraudulent intent.

What process will be followed to assess the applications?

The PEI Film Production Fund (PEIFPF) is administered by Innovation PEI on behalf of the Province of Prince Edward Island.  There is no administration fee charged to applicant production companies.

Inquiries concerning the PEI Film Production Fund (PEIFPF) should be directed to the Cultural Development Division of Innovation PEI.  This division will provide relevant documentation and assist producers in determining the eligibility of the production and the production company, required documentation, and the amount of the potential PEI Film Production Fund (PEIFPF) rebate.

How do I apply?

If you wish to apply for this program or would like more information please contact Meaghan Brander by email mdbrander@gov.pe.ca or by phone at 902 368-6300.