A Practical Guide to Applying for Funding and Filming in Northern Ontario

Shooting Up Here

REEL Northern Ontario

A Practical Guide to Applying for Funding and Filming in Northern Ontario

In the past decade, Northern Ontario has emerged as a thriving regional hub for film and television production.

While this vast territory does o!er remarkably diverse and beautiful locations, the main draw for producers from across North America - and beyond- is primarily the funding o!ered by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

This guide has been created to assist in navigating the application process for funding and filming in Northern Ontario.

For a more detailed description of this funding program, Producers should contact the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

Introduction

Introduction | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

!is is a guide and is not an o"cial Northern Heritage Fund Corporation document.*

Contents

What is the NOHFC and how can it help my project?A brief note on The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and its mission.

Pg. 1

What kinds of film and television projects are the NOHFC willing to fund?Meeting the minimum conditions to qualify for NOHFC funding.

Pg. 2

More About Northern OntarioWe are spread over a geographical area larger than the state of Texas.

Pg. 3

Keeping it Up NorthKeeping the “North” in Northern Ontario Heritage Funded Film & TV Projects.

Pg. 5

What defines a Northern Ontario Resident?A description of the criteria needed for all NOHFC Film & TV Projects.

Pg. 6

What kinds of services are available in Northern Ontario?In addition to local services, key Film industry suppliers and service providers are gradually establishing operations in the North.

Pg. 7

What defines a Northern Ontario Company?A guideline of criteria needed to qualify as a Northern Ontario Company.

Pg. 7

Is There a Film Commission O!ce?There are currently no recognized Film Commission o"ces located in Northern Ontario.

Pg. 8

What is the status of professional unions and trade organizations in Northern Ontario?These organizations represent thousands of Canadian film industry workers.

Pg. 9

Wrapping Up Demystifying the Northern Spend, accessing locations and making contacts.

Pg. 10+

Ontario’s Economic Future Points North!

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) wants to partner with business-minded Northerners to develop innovative technologies, invest in infrastructure, bolster collaboration and build economic development capacity.#

By supporting your business vision, we can strengthen the North’s competitive advantage.# NOHFC programs focus on the growth of the existing and emerging sectors identified in the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario and the government’s key priority of helping communities prosper.

The NOHFC o"ers five programs: The Strategic Economic Infrastructure Program, The Northern Community Capacity Building Program, The Northern Innovation Program, The Northern Business Opportunity Program,The Northern Ontario Internship Program.

We continue to support community advancement in economic development and investment through strategic infrastructure. Our programs increase the competitiveness of business and industry, foster innovation and entrepreneurial prospects, and create new jobs. Together, we can grow a stronger and more prosperous North.

Film and Television financing falls under the Northern Business Opportunity Program. The NOHFC Film and TV Funding Program is not a tax credit, it is a conditional grant that requires you meet certain criteria. This program focuses on job creation and economic impact.

The NOHFC compliments federal and provincial tax credits and works closely with other funding agencies like the Ontario Media Development Corporation and Telefilm Canada. Like Telefilm and OMDC, NOHFC has intake periods and awards grants to projects who demonstrate a number of key requirements that factor into their decision making process.

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NOHFC financing is scalable.

For example, if you have applied for $500K and have been approved, this does not necessarily mean you will receive $500K.

In order to meet the requirements you must hire Northerners, train Northerners and achieve your Northern Spend.

Only then will you be able to claim Northern expenditures and be reimbursed at a rate of 50% of approved expenses.

Pg. 1 the NOHFC | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

What is the NOHFCand how can it help my project?

If you are a film supplier or service provider, you may qualify under additional funding programs with the NOHFC.

Please contact them directly or speak to a qualified Northern Film Liaison for additional information.

Translation for Film and Television Folks: NOHFC stands for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. It is a unique government agency that has a very specific mandate that transcends conventional film and television funding programs.

from www.nohfc.ca

Production companies and their projects must meet these minimum conditions to qualify for NOHFC funding:

The production company must be a Canadian corporation, which is Canadian controlled.

The production company must own all of the rights necessary to exploit and produce the production.

Projects with a total budget of less than $1 million must be produced by an Ontario resident.

Any one producer or co-producer is limited to one application per intake round.

Applicants must provide evidence of the availability of all other project financing with terms and conditions satisfactory to the NOHFC, at the time of application.

The project must have secured a written commitment letter from a qualified and experienced distributor or broadcaster, satisfactory to the NOHFC, at the time of application.

Applicants must be in good standing with the NOHFC.

Applicants or any owners, promoters or principals of a related company that are in default on any contractual obligations to the NOHFC are not eligible.

Pg. 2 NOHFC Funding Conditions | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

What kinds of film and television projects are the NOHFC willing to fund?

Priority will be given to applicants who have experience as producers of commercial film and/or television projects or related experience satisfactory to the NOHFC.

This includes demonstrating that they have the necessary expertise and resources to complete the proposed production and arrange for its marketing.# Applicants with insu"cient experience in development or production for the project genre and scope must secure the participation of an experienced executive producer prior to application to NOHFC. Applicants must be the owner or co-owner of the project, control copyright and receive, subject to commitments to third-party investors, talent and deferring parties, a share of revenues from sales of the project.

Applicants must receive a producer credit on the project.

The following is a list of eligible projects:Theatrical feature filmsMade-for-television moviesTelevision drama series

Productions must meet appropriate quality-acceptance standards for broadcast and distribution. Pornography, sports events, news, games, industrial programs, reality programs and commercials are not eligible.

The NOHFC will not fund productions that contravene the Criminal Code of Canada or any other criminal or civic prohibition. Productions containing excessive violence, sexual violence, sexual or racial stereotyping or exploitation are not eligible. The NOHFC reserves the right to apply its final judgment in this regard.

from www.nohfc.ca

A Bit about us:

Northern Ontario is a geographic and administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario. The geographic region lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River, Lake Nipissing, and the Mattawa River, while the administrative region has several boundaries further south that vary according to federal and provincial government policies and requirements.

The geographic region (which for census purposes, includes a part of Nipissing District that lies south of the Mattawa River) has a land area of 802,000#km2 (310,000#mi2) and constitutes 87 per cent of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about six per cent of the population.

Most of Northern Ontario is situated on the Canadian Shield, a vast rocky plateau. The climate is characterized by extremes of temperature, extremely cold in winter and hot in summer. The principal industries are mining, forestry, and hydroelectricity.

In the early 20th century, Northern Ontario was often called “New Ontario”, although this name fell into disuse because of its colonial connotations. (In French, however, the region may still be referred to as Nouvel Ontario, although le Nord de l’Ontario and Ontario-Nord are also used.) (From wikipedia).

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Northern Ontario is not like Southern Ontario, Vancouver or LA in the sense that we are spread over a geographical area larger than the state of Texas.

When planning your film project, please take into consideration the vast diversity of our regions.

From the industrial Sudbury Basin to the pristine LaCloche Mountain Range to the splendor of Lake Superior, you can find just about any location that will enhance and beautify the look of your film.

You can find more information regarding shooting in Northern Ontario and resources by visiting:reelnorthernontario.com

A map of Northern Ontario can be found on the NOHFC Website.: http://nohfc.ca/en/about-us/northern-ontario-districts

Pg. 3 More About Northern Ontario | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

Tell me more about Northern Ontario

For some purposes, Northern Ontario is further subdivided into Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario. When the region is divided in this way, the three westernmost districts (Rainy River, Kenora and Thunder Bay) constitute “Northwestern Ontario” and the other districts constitute “Northeastern Ontario.” Northeastern Ontario contains two thirds of Northern Ontario’s population.

Pg. 4 More About Northern Ontario | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

Northern Ontario Boundaries

from www.nohfc.ca

Northern Crew… Do they exist?

This is perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about filming in the North. Gone are the days of having to travel up your entire crew from outside of Northern Ontario.

Over the last decade, full time film crew professionals have been honing their skills through the NOHFC program and our numbers have been growing steadily. These individuals are dedicated and skilled crew members who have given up their “day jobs” to pursue full time careers in Film and TV production.

While a few Northern crew split their time between the North and Toronto/Vancouver/LA, for the most part, you will find who you need up here. So before you hire your crew from elsewhere, give us a gander.

While we are still lacking in some areas, some smaller indie films have been known to crew up exclusively with Northerners.

For an extensive crew database please visit:www.reelnorthernontario.com

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Hiring Northerners will also help you to achieve your Northern Spend and add value to your production.

Reel Northern Ontario is currently building a comprehensive crew database that will be accessible to producers in 2014.

Pg. 5 Keeping it up North | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

Keeping it Up “North” in NOHFC Film & TV Projects

Things we often hear:

“I was born in Northern Ontario but don’t live there anymore” “I grew up in Northern Ontario but am no longer a permanent resident” “I spend my summers in Northern Ontario but don’t live there year round” “I have a parent, aunt, cousin, girlfriend or buddy in Northern Ontario and can claim a Northern Ontario address” “I have a post o"ce box address in Northern Ontario” “I have a Northern Ontario address on my driver’s license but don’t reside there as a permanent resident” “I have a business registered with a Northern Ontario address” A business is not a person and cannot claim residency.

None of the above, qualify as a Northern Resident.

Pg. 6 Defining Northern Ontario Resident | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

What defines a Northern Ontario Resident?

Upon being o!ered employment as a Northern Ontario Resident on all NOHFC funded projects, film crew and service providers will be asked to complete a Northern Residency Declaration. This form will ask them to declare their Northern Residency. If falsified, this action may jeopardize the NOHFC financial contribution to the production.

Definition of Northern Residency as stated on the Declaration is:

“With respect to the above production, I hereby certify and confirm that in the year prior to or in the year of the production my primary place of residence was in Northern Ontario.

Primary place of residence is defined as the place of residence for the purposes of mailing address, income tax (forms or returns), voting, municipal/school taxes, telephone listing and the location of the majority of personal e!ects (in terms of use and value). Northern Ontario includes the administrative districts of Rainy River, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Algoma (Sault Ste Marie), Sudbury, Parry Sound (including parts of Muskoka), Nipissing (North Bay) and Manitoulin.”

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The NOHFC takes this Declaration document

Non-resident film crew who are seriously considering relocating to Northern Ontario will have the opportunity to establish Northern Residency and to be considered on a case-by-case basis by the NOHFC.

very seriously.

In recent months many of the large film industry suppliers and service providers have already set upor are planning to establish operations in the North. For a complete list, please contact a qualified Northern Ontario Film Liason.

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How does this impact your Northern Spend?

To qualify as a Northern Company requires more than a Northern billing address and a local bank account.

You must demonstrate that you and/or your company have invested in a permanent operation within the Northern boundaries, with at least one full time employee that is a permanent Northern Resident.

The company must also demonstrate physical o"ces, warehouse or other acceptable workspace located within Northern boundaries as set out by the NOHFC.

Pg. 7 Available Services + Defining Northern Ontario Companies | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

What kinds of services are available in Northern Ontario?

What defines a Northern Ontario Company?

You must demonstrate that you and/or your company have invested in a permanent operation within the Northern boundaries, with at least one full time employee or contractor that is a permanent Northern Resident.

The following costs are ineligible for NOHFC financial and work space support:

Producer fees (includes any above the line fees IE; executive producers, producers, investors, unidentified stake holders, actors, consultants and other creative talent)

Non-labor costs spent outside of Northern Ontario

Brokerage of production and/or post-production goods and services from outside of Northern Ontario by intermediaries (Billing for services that are incurred outside of our boundaries by a third party).

Is the North still like the Wild West; is there a film commission o!ce?

There are currently no recognized Film Commission O"ces located in Northern Ontario.

Each film friendly centre has local Economic Development O"ce representatives that can assist with permits etc. There are Film Liaisons some of who have completed the Association of Film Commission’s, Film Commissioner course. These Liaisons can assist with locations, resources, vendors, crew and any other aspects that a film commission o"ce would o!er.

The above are well-established trade organizations working in the film and television industries across Canada and in some cases North America. These organizations represent thousands of Canadian film industry workers representing all departments actively involved in production.

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It is important to note that the unions are no longer willing to grant dispensation to productions with budgets over $1 Million.

Most Northern crew have remained non-union pending further information about the programs and benefits o!ered through each union and determining what will be the right choice for them.

As the Film Industry builds in Northern Ontario, the Unions are reaching out to Northern Crew. Subsequently there have been some challenges to determine the best way forward. Not only must a Northerner prove residency to the NOHFC, they must also prove residency and permittee status to the union.

Pg. 9 Unions & Organizations | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

What is the status of professional unions and trade organizations in Northern Ontario?

The number of Northern union members in Northern Ontario is small but growing. In recent months Union Representatives including Executive Directors and Business Agents have engaged with key regional industry stakeholders to create awareness via workshops, information sessions and on-the-job training.

They have expressed a desire to work toward building a presence that compliments collective professional objectives, the mandate of the NOHFC while respecting the uniqueness of current state of the industry in the North.

DGC:Directors Guild of Canada

IATSE:International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees

NABET:National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians

ACTRA:Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists

Who should I talk to?

If you are considering Northern Ontario as a potential destination for your Film or TV project, you should first call the OMDC or the NOHFC, they will gladly put you in touch with a list of knowledgeable Local Film Liaisons that can assist you in navigating the “North”.

The OMDC may be willing to finance initial location scouts and, should you decide to further explore Northern locations, assist you with Location Surveys.

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While Northern Ontario is similar in many of its film friendly locations, it is important to note that you may wish to consider other logistical issues, depending on your budget.

If you are working with a micro budget, you may wish to consider the availability of local crew to avoid accommodation and per diem expenses. Should you have a larger budget, you can certainly entertain shooting in more remote areas.

Pg. 10 Demystifying the Northern Spend | Shooting Up Here REEL Northern Ontario

Demystifying the Northern Spend

Where can I find a list of what expenses qualify as “Northern Spend” ?

The simple answer is that there is no list. Because our infrastructure is constantly evolving, the NOHFC considers expenditures on a case-by-case basis. While labour and obvious Northern costs are self-evident, there is quite a bit of gray area when it comes to what is Northern Spend and what is not.

For example; if you book cast travel from LA to the North through a Northern travel agency, does this qualify as Northern Spend?

That is a very good question, while the NOHFC does not split hairs they do examine the spin o! and long term benefits of allowing this type of expense to qualify.

What about Co Productions?

NOHFC welcomes International and National Co Productions providing certain criteria are met. For additional information please contact the NOHFC and/or a Northern Film Liaison.

What about Location Libraries?

Key stakeholders and active members of the Northern Ontario Film Community are working closely with the Ontario Media Development Corporation in order to expand their existing Northern Ontario location library. You can find a link to the OMDC on the Reel Northern Ontario website or go directly to www.omdc.on.ca

Wrapping Up

Where do I begin?

First, spend some time on the NOHFC website to learn about the programs, then when you’re ready, consult the Reel Northern Ontario website to find a Film Liason who can guide you through all stages of your project.

Get in Touch

Your key Northern Ontario Contacts

NOHFC website:www.nohfc.ca

Reel Northern Ontario website:www.reelnorthernontario.ca