National Film Board of Canada Filmmaker Assistance Program

Overview

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) provides post-production support to independent English-speaking Canadian filmmakers. The program offers two streams: cash reimbursement for local post-production services (up to $7,500 for short films, up to $15,000 for feature films), or in-kind post-production services at the NFB's Balmoral studios in Montreal. The program returned in January 2025 after a hiatus, with increased per-project assistance levels.

The FAP is one of the NFB's mechanisms for supporting the broader Canadian independent film ecosystem beyond the NFB's own commissioned productions. Documentaries receive first consideration, reflecting the NFB's historical commitment to documentary filmmaking as a public good and a form of Canadian cultural expression. The program has supported hundreds of independent filmmakers since its establishment.

The NFB operates the program through its production website at production.nfbonf.ca. Applications are assessed three times per year, with selections made in alignment with the NFB's mandate to reflect a balance of genres and formats, emerging and established talent, regional representation, and commitments to Indigenous sovereignty and diversity.

What It Funds

Stream 1: Local Reimbursement

Filmmakers who wish to complete post-production locally in their home city can apply for cash reimbursement of eligible post-production costs:

• Short films: Up to $7,500 per filmmaker
• Feature films: Up to $15,000 per filmmaker
• Other lengths and formats are subject to capacity and filmmaker requests

Reimbursement is provided upon receipt of expense reports and proof of payment. This means filmmakers must incur the costs before receiving funds, which has cash-flow implications for productions with limited reserves.

Eligible expenses are limited to post-production services provided by arm's-length, third-party local Canadian suppliers. FAP recipients are also eligible for discounted rates on archival footage from the NFB's collection.

The local reimbursement stream is not available to filmmakers based in Montreal. Montreal-based filmmakers must apply for the Balmoral in-kind stream.

Stream 2: Balmoral In-Kind Services

Filmmakers can apply to travel to Montreal to complete post-production work in-house at the NFB's Balmoral studios. Services provided include:

• Picture and sound editing suites
• Online editing services
• Title and credits design
• Sound effects and voice recording
• Mixing
• Access to NFB archives
• Master copies and authoring of complete Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs)

For filmmakers living in Montreal or within 150 km of Montreal, the filmmaker covers 10% of the total cost of requested post-production services. The NFB covers the remaining 90% as an in-kind contribution.

For filmmakers who live more than 150 km from Montreal but wish to travel to Montreal to access the services, the NFB waives the 10% fee and covers 100% of the cost of post-production services, acknowledging the additional travel costs.

What Is Not Covered

The FAP does not pay wages or labor costs for individuals. All invoices for services must be addressed to the National Film Board of Canada and issued by the service provider rather than the individual filmmaker. Labor for editing and sound work is excluded from both streams.

Support is limited to one production per fiscal year per filmmaker. Filmmakers may not have another active project with the NFB or any other FAP program concurrently.

Eligibility

Filmmaker Eligibility

• Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Must be an independent filmmaker (not an NFB staff production or co-production where the NFB is a primary producer)
• Currently enrolled film students are not eligible
• May only have one active project with the NFB or another FAP program at a time
• No incorporation required; individuals and production companies are both eligible

Project Eligibility

Eligible formats and genres include:

• Short, medium-length, or feature-length documentary
• Short-form documentary series for the web
• Animated short, medium, or feature film
• Short fiction film (0 to 30 minutes)
• Experimental short film

The following are not eligible:

• Interactive projects
• Narrative mid-length or feature films
• Mid-length or feature experimental films
• Films produced for an educational program
• Promotional films
• Commissioned films
• Commercial products
• Public service announcements
• Demo reels
• Music videos

Additional Requirements

• The project must have financing already in place
• Production and post-production schedules must be finalized
• A demonstrated financing structure or completed rough cut must be available to ensure the project will be completed
• The filmmaker's needs must match the NFB's available capacity

2026 Application Deadlines

The FAP accepts applications three times per year. The 2026 deadlines are:

• March 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST (acceptance notification: week of April 13, 2026)
• June 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST
• October 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST

Reimbursement deadlines follow each term. For the March 2026 intake, the reimbursement deadline is September 30, 2026. Filmmakers should verify all dates on the NFB production website before applying.

French-Language Program: ACIC

The NFB operates a parallel program for French-speaking independent filmmakers across Canada: the Aide au cinema independant du Canada (ACIC) program. French-speaking filmmakers should apply to ACIC rather than FAP. Full details are available on the NFB production website.

Past Recipients and Notable Films

The NFB FAP has supported hundreds of independent Canadian filmmakers with post-production support. Specific recipients and the films they made with FAP support:

• Joshua Murphy and Tys Burger - Oil Springs (2025) - FAP grant recipient for color grading. A documentary about the history and impact of Canada's oil industry. Premiered on the filmmakers' own channels.

• Kara Blake - The Delian Mode (2009) - FAP recipient. A short documentary about electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire. Available on Vimeo via Philtre Films.

• Anyes Fabre-Dimsdale - Steel Ribbons (2009) - FAP recipient. A documentary exploring the cultural significance of hair in Black communities.

• Rodney Bodner - Homelessness: A Human Rights Violation (2022) - FAP recipient. A documentary examining homelessness through a human rights lens.

• Amy Miller - Multiple documentaries - FAP recipient (June 2011). Miller has directed several documentaries on social and environmental justice themes.

Note: Many FAP-supported films are short documentaries with limited online distribution. Trailers are often not available on YouTube. Filmmakers should check the NFB's online collection and Vimeo for available work.

What Makes a Competitive Application

1. Canadian citizenship or permanent residency required - The director must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
2. Secured financing - Projects must demonstrate secured financing. FAP is a completion program, not development funding.
3. Post-production readiness - Production and post-production schedules must be finalized. Projects must be ready to begin or complete post-production.
4. Balance of representation - Selections align with the NFB mandate to reflect a balance of genres, emerging vs. established talent, regional representation, Indigenous sovereignty, and diversity.
5. Feasibility and capacity - The application package must be complete and compliant. The filmmaker's needs must match the NFB's available capacity at the time of application.

How FAP Compares to Other Canadian Film Funding

The FAP occupies a specific niche in the Canadian film funding landscape. Unlike Telefilm Canada funding or provincial tax credits, which support production budgets at scale, the FAP targets the final stage: post-production finishing. Key distinctions:

• Telefilm Canada: Funds production and development through multiple programs with larger budgets. FAP is narrower, covering only post-production costs.
• Canada Council for the Arts: Offers grants across career stages and disciplines. FAP is specific to post-production for film formats.
• Provincial incentives (Ontario Creates, Creative BC): Provide tax credits and production funding tied to regional spend. FAP provides direct reimbursement or in-kind services without tax credit complexity.

Filmmakers can combine FAP with other funding sources, provided the FAP covers post-production costs not already funded elsewhere. The one-project-at-a-time rule applies only to concurrent NFB/FAP projects, not to external funders.

Who Should Apply

Independent Canadian documentary and narrative filmmakers in post-production who need reimbursement support for finishing costs. The program is open to filmmakers at any career stage (except current students), and the documentary priority makes it particularly well suited to nonfiction filmmakers approaching completion. Filmmakers based outside Montreal have two options: local reimbursement in their home city, or fully covered in-kind services at the NFB's Balmoral studios (with the 10% fee waived for those traveling more than 150 km).

See Also

For planning Canadian documentary post-production budgets, use the Storage and Footage Calculator to estimate storage and workflow costs. For an overview of how post-production grants fit into a broader financing strategy, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For structuring your post-production schedule after receiving FAP support, use the Post Production Timeline Calculator.