The Canadian Film Centre (CFC), based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and founded by Academy Award-nominated director Norman Jewison, aims to "accelerate the careers of the brightest talent in film, television, screen acting, music, and digital media." A charitable organization, the CFC "is committed to promoting and investing in Canada's diverse talent; providing exhibition, financial, and distribution opportunities, industry collaborations and creative partnerships for top creative content leaders. CFC makes a significant cultural and economic contribution to Canada by launching the country's most creative ideas and voices to the world."
Initially founded in 1988 by Jewison as a film training centre for aspiring and emerging Canadian filmmakers, the CFC has progressively added new programs, initiatives and labs as they become relevant; growing from 6 initial staff running a solitary film program for 12 inaugural residents in 1988, to over 50 staff, running 11 programs and 3 initiatives for more than 100 residents in 2012.
1988: CFC opens with original Film Training Program for producers, writers and directors
1991: Summer & Fall Writer’s Boot camp offered until 1993
1992: CFC Features(formerly The Feature Film Project) launches
1994: Inaugural Television Training Program begins
1996: Professional Screenwriting Program starts
1997: CFC Media Lab created
1997: Editors’ lab included in Film Program offerings
1999: Prime Time Television Program commences
2000: CFC acquires the Worldwide Short Film Festival
2002: Interactive Project Lab initiated
2003: CFC Distribution is introduced
2003: Interactive Narrative Feature Project (INFP) conceived
2004: Professional Screenwriting Program & Writers’ Lab folded into Prime Time TV Program
2004: TELUS Innovation Fund announced
2006: TV Pilot Program begins
2006: NBC Universal Multiplatform Program announced
2007: CFC GO WEST Project Lab launched
2007: Mobile Film Festival launched
2007: Launch of Late Fragment, INFP’s inaugural project and North America’s first interactive dramatic feature film
2008: CFC NFB Documentary Program created
2008: Canada - UK Script Incubation Program announced
2008: CFC Actors Conservatory announced
2009: CFC NBC Universal Content Creator Program announced
2009: CFC Launches New Program | Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab
2009: Entertainment One Supports CFC Features
2009: Kiefer Sutherland Announced as Chair of CFC Actors Conservatory
2011: Paul Haggis announced as Chair of Cineplex Entertainment and Short Dramatic Film Programs
2012: Bell Media Showrunner Bootcamp announced
2012: The Slaight Family Music Lab announced
2012: Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange launched
2012: Bell Media sponsors Prime Time TV Program
2012: ideaBOOST launched
Training and advancement
CFC offers specialized mentorship in several separate media streams: film, television, music, screen acting, and digital media. Each stream offers practical, intensive, hands-on programs that are administered under the guidance of faculty and industry professionals.
Cineplex Entertainment Film Program: A five-and-a-half month residency offering participants complete immersion in the art, craft and business of dramatic filmmaking for producers, editors, writers and directors.
Short Dramatic Film Program: An intense five-month development, production and post-production filmmaking experience that produces up to five short films a year.
CFC Features: A comprehensive development and production focused mentorship program for the development, production and marketing of first-time low-budget feature films.
CFC GO WEST Project Lab: An intense, week-long creative and business immersion experience for western-Canada-based producers.
CFC NFB Documentary Program: Launched in January 2009, Canada’s first theatrical documentary development program is a new six-month program designed to help directors develop cinematic documentaries that will advance the genre and achieve commercial and critical success. In May 2015, the CFC and NFB announced a new version of the program entitled the NFB/CFC Creative Doc Lab, which had previously led to the production of Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell, Yung Chang‘s The Fruit Hunters and Su Rynard’s The Messenger.
Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange: A high-level, professional development program, pairing accomplished Canadian feature film producers and their writer and/or director teams and their theatrical comedy scripts, with the best comedy minds in the world.
Bell Media Prime Time TV Program: A five-month residency providing up to eight experienced writers with the opportunity to train in a simulated story department environment, guided by leading senior television creators.
TV Pilot Program: A fully mentored, thorough immersion in dramatic television production, from concept through development, to production, post and delivery. Produces up to three half-hour pilots with broadcaster participation annually.
Canada - UK Script Incubation Program: Canada’s first international co-production training program: The Canada - UK Script Incubation Program is the first of its kind in Canada and will foster a new level of collaboration between Canadian and UK television writers. With the participation of Shaw Media, the BBC and BBC Worldwide, the program aspires to be an exciting model for the successful co-production of television properties.
ideaBOOST: A business accelerator with a difference. A bootcamp for companies that want to navigate an entertainment ecosystem that has been radically disrupted by new technologies and demanding audience expectations.
Interactive Narrative Feature Program (INFP): An innovative program designed to experiment with the creation, development, production, financing, marketing and distribution of interactive feature films.
This initiative delivers collaborative, in-depth, professional-level training for screen actors. Launched in 2009, the CFC Actors Conservatory is presented by Shaw Media and supported by the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, and is the first program of its kind in Canada.
From organizing innovative industry outreach events nationwide, to providing Canadians with the means and venues to profile their works, CFC has extended their dedication beyond development to include promotion and investment. Designed to encourage discussion and stimulate interest in the Canadian entertainment industry, CFC has hosted numerous screenings, workshops and industry forums; helping to build the Canadian network and fuel Canada’s growth internationally.
The CFC has produced a large catalogue of works, including 21 feature films, 145 short films, 61 interactive prototypes, and 1 interactive feature film, Late Fragment. Feature films comprise:
Features
Molly Maxwell (director, Sara St. Onge), Released April 19, 2013 in Toronto.
Old Stock (director, James Genn), coming in summer 2013.
Rhymes for Young Ghouls (director, Jeff Barnaby), coming in summer 2013.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy (director, Charles Officer): received its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival and had its theatrical release on February 6, 2009 in Toronto and Vancouver.
Blood and Donuts (director, Holly Dale): screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival and Singapore International Film Festival.
Rude (director, Clement Virgo): received its World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival, and garnered 8 Genie Award Nominations (including; Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress) at the 1996 Genie Awards.
House (director, Laurie Lynd): screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival and Mannheim-Heidelberg Film Festival.
Shoemaker (director, Colleen Murphy): Received the Audience Prize & Ecumenic Prize at the Mannheim-Heidelberg Film Festival, and garnered nominations for Best Supporting Actor & Best Actress at the 1997 Genie Awards.
Cube (director, Vincenzo Natali): #2 spot in gross receipts in France in the second week of its run, Best First Canadian Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, and garnered six Genie Award Nominations at 1998 Genie Awards
Clutch (director, Chris Grismer): Best Feature at the Victoria International Film & Video Festival.
Too Much Sex (director, Andrew Ainsworth): Best Film at the Malibu Film Festival.
Show Me (director, Cassandra Nicolaou)
The Dark Hours (director, Paul Fox)
Siblings (director, David Weaver)
The Uncles (director, Jim Allodi)
The Art of Woo (director, Helen Lee): premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Khaled (director, Asghar Massombagi): received the 2002 Karlovy Vary Award for Best Director, and a Special Mention by the Fipresci Jury at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival.
Short Films include:
Cold Feet (director, Daniel D'Alimonte), Canadian Premiere at 2014 Fantasia Festival and Screamfest Horror Film Festival.
Frost (director, Jeremy Ball), World Premiere at 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Nominated for Best Live Action Short at 2013 Canadian Screen Awards.
How To Rid Your Lover of a Negative Emotion Caused By You! (director, Nadia Litz), World Premiere at 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. Stars Sarah Allen
Shanti Baba Ram & The Dancers of Hope (director Steve Rosenberg, produced by Heidi Tao Yang): the title track of the film was composed by Vikas Kohli of Fatlabs Studios.
The Fairy Who Didn't Want to Be a Fairy Anymore (Laurie Lynd, 1993)
