Indigenous Screen Office (ISO)

Overview

The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is Canada's dedicated national funding body for Indigenous screen content. The ISO supports First Nations, Inuit, and Metis storytellers across all screen-based platforms, including film, television, digital media, interactive/immersive projects, and podcasts. In the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the ISO allocated $6,300,000 through its Story Fund Production Stream, funding 26 Indigenous creative teams across Canada. Those projects included 8 feature films, 4 short films, and 14 television series.

The ISO operates with a strategic plan running through 2025-2028, focused on amplifying Indigenous innovation in storytelling, increasing Indigenous-made production in the audiovisual sector, and advocating for audience access and awareness. The organization's mandate reflects Canada's commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.

If you are a First Nations, Inuit, or Metis filmmaker or screen creator based in Canada, the ISO is your primary national funding body. Review the funding opportunities on the ISO website to determine which program fits your project's stage.

What It Funds

The ISO provides funding through two key streams: the Story Fund and Sector Development.

Story Fund

The Story Fund is the core funding program, supporting the full cycle of creation across all screen-based platforms. It includes the following sub-programs:

• Development Program: Supports Indigenous individuals, companies, collectives, and communities to develop scripts, research project ideas, and develop content
• Production Program (Features and Series): Supports Indigenous screen-based creators in the production of feature-length films (minimum 44 minutes) or television series (minimum 22 minutes per episode). Maximum request: $750,000 CAD. Projects must have a minimum total budget of $1,000,000 including the ISO funding request. Projects awarded $250,000 or above are subject to a 3% hold-back until completion and final reporting.
• Finishing Fund Program: Supports Indigenous-owned screen-based companies in post-production. Projects must have received prior ISO funding, or have secured a national or international broadcaster or significant public funding (considered case-by-case).
• Marketing, Promotion and Distribution Program: Supports Indigenous-owned companies for marketing, promotion, and distribution of completed projects. Prior ISO funding required (with case-by-case exceptions for projects with broadcast or public funding).
• Interactive and Immersive Program: Funds development and production of video games, AR/VR/MR works, apps, and immersive/interactive projects with audio or audiovisual content
• Podcasting Funding Program: Supports research, development, production, marketing, and distribution of podcasts by Indigenous screen-based and audio storytellers

Sector Development

The Sector Development program supports initiatives and projects that strengthen and grow the Indigenous screen sector, including training programs, infrastructure, and organizational capacity-building.

CMF Indigenous Production Program

The ISO also administers the Canada Media Fund (CMF) Indigenous Production Program in partnership with the CMF. This program supports Indigenous projects at the production stage, providing up to 60% of a project's eligible costs, up to $750,000 from the CMF. Beginning in 2026-2027, the CMF Maximum Contribution is no longer based on genre, and the program has expanded to allow Reality and Lifestyle Programming for Documentary series related to Indigenous culture.

2025-2026 Production Stream Results

In May 2026, the ISO announced its 2025-2026 Story Fund Production Stream allocations:

• Total investment: $6,300,000
• Creative teams supported: 26
• Project breakdown: 8 feature films, 4 short films, 14 television series
• Geographic distribution: 7 from British Columbia, 5 from Ontario, 4 from Nunavut, 4 from Quebec, 2 from Manitoba, 2 from Saskatchewan, 1 Alberta/Ontario co-production, 1 Manitoba/Ontario co-production

Additionally, in May 2026 the ISO and CMF announced a combined $480,000 investment in 3 Indigenous Interactive and Immersive projects. In June 2026, the ISO launched its first professional development program for Indigenous screenwriters in partnership with Paramount.

Eligibility

Indigenous Control Requirement

All ISO funding requires Indigenous creative and financial control:

• Indigenous-controlled ownership: Minimum 51% ownership by person(s) who are First Nations, Inuit, or Metis and who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
• Creative team requirement: Two of the three key members of the creative team (director, screenwriter, showrunner/lead producer) must be Indigenous. For series applications, this requirement applies to every episode.
• Corporate registration: The applicant company must be registered as a corporation with its head office in Canada

Production Program Additional Requirements

• Projects must be intended for theatrical release, television broadcast, or streaming services in Canada within 24 months of completion
• Applicants must provide proof of a minimum of 60% confirmed financing from a national funder or broadcaster
• For a series in its second or subsequent season, a rough cut or final version of at least one episode of the previous season must be submitted
• The ISO's fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31

Non-Indigenous Filmmakers

The ISO's programs are not open to non-Indigenous filmmakers or to projects where Indigenous content is peripheral to the creative vision. The ISO works in coordination with the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, and other national funding bodies, and ISO support can be combined with other national or provincial funding.

Upcoming Deadlines (as of July 2026)

The Production Program for Features and Series had a deadline of May 20, 2026, with a summer/fall opening planned for all total budget levels (short and feature films, TV and series). Check the ISO website for the most current deadline information.

Application Process

Applications must be completed and submitted through the ISO Portal. The portal closes at the deadline and applications will not be accepted after that time. The ISO recommends starting applications early due to high demand and the competitive nature of the programs.

The ISO can provide support of up to $500 CAD per year per applicant for application assistance, on a case-by-case basis. Contact the ISO directly for information about accessibility support.

Who Should Apply

First Nations, Inuit, and Metis filmmakers and screen creators based in Canada who are developing or producing screen content across any format. The ISO is the first point of contact for Indigenous Canadian filmmakers seeking dedicated support from a body that understands the specific priorities and challenges of Indigenous storytelling.

Non-Indigenous filmmakers, international filmmakers without Canadian Indigenous status, and projects without Indigenous creative control are not eligible. Filmmakers who do not meet the ISO's eligibility criteria should look to Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, or provincial funding bodies.

See Also

For an overview of the Canada Media Fund as a complementary national funding source, see the Canada Media Fund entry. For understanding how Indigenous screen funding integrates with provincial and co-production financing, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For production budget planning, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.