Purpose
The program supports individual professional Ontario-based media artists/directors working with film, video, audio, digital, new media, video and electronic games, and virtual reality as independent artist-controlled art forms in the production and post-production phases of their projects. There are two categories:
- Emerging Artist: You have completed at least one independent media work and are not currently enrolled in a formal media arts education program.
- Mid-Career & Established Artist: You have completed at least two previous media works independently. Mid-Career artists have a history of independent media arts practice of at least 5 years. Established artists have a history of independent media arts practice of at least 15 years.
Priorities
The program’s priority is to support projects that are innovative – in content, point of view, form, style, technique or process – and that further your development as an artist. In addition to considering the OAC’s priority groups, this program also strives to support gender parity.
Deadline dates
April 7 and October 1, 2021, 1 p.m. ET
- Applications are available in Nova approximately two months before the deadline.
- Grant notification will be available approximately four and a half months after each deadline.
Grant amount(s)
- Emerging: $10,000 maximum
- Mid-Career & Established: $40,000 maximum
Important: Total project budgets must not exceed:
- $75,000 for Emerging applications
- $300,000 for Mid-Career & Established applications
Recent changes
- Grant notification is now available approximately four and a half months after each deadline. Refer to the “Activity timing” section on this page to understand how this may affect the timing of eligible activities.
Eligible applicants
- artists/directors who have a permanent physical address in Ontario
- artists/directors who work with or without a producer
- artists/directors who hold copyright over the work. Contracts with producers or other funders must not require that you give up such control, even if they are arranged after you have received confirmation of OAC support
- emerging, mid-career or established artists/directors who have completed the requisite number of independent works
- graduate students who are applying to the Mid-Career & Established category only. You must provide a letter from the department head stating your proposed project is not a part of your academic program
Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.
Ineligible applicants
- producers
- secondary and undergraduate students
- artists who apply to the Visual Artists Creation Projects program in the same year
- collaborators (e.g., co-director) named in one application cannot be the applicant or collaborator on another application submitted to this program at the same deadline
- applicants who have previously received a Media Artists grant in the Mid-Career & Established category cannot apply in the Emerging category
This program funds
- Production and post-production costs, including artist and personnel fees, related travel expenses, insurance, promotional materials, prototyping, rights for visuals and sound/music, facility and equipment rentals, purchase of small-scale equipment, software, electronics and similar materials required to carry out the project
- You may apply for:
- animation
- audio or video art
- dance film/video (for the choreography only, also see the Dance Projects program)
- documentary
- drama/comedy
- experimental
- media art installation
- new media
- media-based performance projects
- web-based art projects
- video or electronic games
- virtual reality projects
This program also supports:
- child care and other dependant care fees (this does not include regular, ongoing expenses)
Note: Applicants to this program who identify as Deaf or as having a disability may apply for supplementary funds for their project-related accessibility expenses through Accessibility Fund: Project Support.
This program does not fund
- research and screenwriting
- a series or group of works (including web series and podcasts)
- commissioned projects and projects contracted for, or produced by a government agency, not-for-profit or private company
- promotional projects or public service announcements
- educational or instructional projects
- producer-driven projects and “calling-card” films
- student projects, including those done through a training centre or program (e.g., Banff Centre, National Screen Institute, Canadian Film Centre)
- television projects, (including journalistic or reporting-style documentary projects, police dramas, movies of the week, news reports, and bravoFact and bravoFactual projects)
- pilots (for television, web series or podcasts)
- music videos
- commercial video or electronic games
- National Film Board of Canada co-productions (except the Filmmakers Assistance Program)
- documentation of existing artworks, and new versions of works that have already been exhibited
- transfers from one format to another (e.g., language versioning or subtitling)
- projects with budgets exceeding $75,000 in the Emerging category, or $300,000 in the Mid-Career & Established category
- projects for which you have sought or will be seeking support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada or the National Research Council
- projects for which you will be seeking tax credits
- websites
- major capital expenditures, including buying, leasing or renovating buildings and purchase of major equipment
Activity timing
The activity for which you are requesting funding:
- cannot start before you receive your grant results
- must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant cheque
Important
- You cannot apply to this deadline if you have not completed the activity for a previously awarded grant in this program and submitted a satisfactory final report.
- The OAC grant cheque will only be released when all sources of revenue are confirmed. If the funds are not confirmed within one year of your grant notification, the grant will be forfeited.
Final report requirements
If you receive a grant you must submit a final report upon completion of the project. See Terms and Conditions — receipt of OAC project grant funds for more information on reporting obligations. Complete and submit the report in Nova.
Final reports for this program require grant recipients to provide:
- description of the project undertaken and its outcomes, including details on any minor or approved changes to what had been outlined in the application
- final budget
- If the budget you submit shows a surplus of more than $250 (revenues as compared to expenses), you may be required to repay the surplus amount to OAC.
- documentation and/or an explanation of how you acknowledged or will acknowledge OAC support for your project
- This should include samples of OAC logo recognition on any promotional or other materials produced in conjunction with the project, such as publications, brochures, posters, invitations, websites, or videos/films. This could also include a description of verbal acknowledgement at public events or the intention to include OAC acknowledgement in associated future activities/materials
- if applicable, description of verbal acknowledgement at public events or the intention to include OAC in associated future activities/materials
- video file of or link to the completed work
To apply
Complete and submit an application in Nova, OAC’s online grant application system. You will be able to do this approximately two months before the deadline.
Before applying, you must:
Your application includes:
- basic information about the project
- your answers to application questions
- project budget
- audiovisual artistic examples:
- Emerging: one example
- Mid-Career: two examples
- Established: two examples
- support documents:
- résumé/bio, script, storyboards, installation schematic, design documents, and letters of agreement, as appropriate for your project
- if you are a graduate student, you must include a letter from your school’s department head confirming that your project is not part of your academic program
Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.
For information on how assessors rate applications see the Evaluation Rubric – Activity Projects.
For help creating a profile or submitting an application in Nova, see the Nova User Guide.
Program-specific definitions
Independent: Work that you initiated as the artist/director. You have complete creative and editorial control and hold copyright. Student, commissioned, and commercial works are not considered independent.
Emerging: You have completed at least one independent media work.
Mid-Career: You have completed at least two independent media works. You have been practicing for at least five years.
Established: You have completed at least five independent media works. You have been practicing for at least 15 years.