Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) is sponsored by National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Supports English-speaking independent filmmakers across Canada by providing high-quality post-production services at low rates.

Filmmaker Assistance Program – FAP - NFB Production | NFB Production Filmmaker Assistance Program – FAP Need help finishing your film? The Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) is an initiative of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) that’s designed to encourage and support independent anglophone Canadian filmmakers.

Filmmakers can apply to receive post-production services at the NFB’s headquarters in Montreal (Balmoral), or if they’re unable or do not wish to travel to Montreal they can apply to have local post-production services reimbursed by the NFB (Local). Please note that the offering & process for each is a little bit different, and we have two different submission forms for each stream.

Please read the details below carefully to support your application. The FAP has a long and illustrious history at the NFB, and the current updates seek to provide the same level of support to independent filmmakers while ensuring our offerings are aligned, equitable and accessible from coast to coast to coast.

In keeping with the NFB’s mandate as a public producer and distributor, projects are selected with the aim of meeting the NFB’s commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion, parity and Indigenous representation, as well as linguistic and regional representation. Submit my project: Balmoral This program offers selected filmmakers’ reimbursement in support of post-production costs.

The maximum amount of support is $7,500 per filmmaker for short films and $15,000 per filmmaker for feature films (other lengths and formats are subject to capacity and filmmaker requests). If an application is accepted, support is provided through cash reimbursement to the filmmaker upon receipt of expense reports and proof of payment. The local reimbursement is not available to filmmakers based in Montreal.

If you are in Montreal, we ask that you apply for the Balmoral option. Eligible expenses are limited to post-production services provided by arm’s length, third-party local Canadian suppliers. FAP recipients are also eligible to discounted rates for archival footage.

Services covered include: Titles / Credits / Supers / Closed Captions Sound Design and/or Sound Editing Foley / Foley Studio Rental / Foley Artist Sound Mixing / Sound Mixer Digital Masters (digital delivery) DCP Authoring (digital delivery) Music / Music Recording / Composing / Composer / Musicians Animation and/or Motion Graphics and/or VFX Film Processing / Transfers of Dailies / Digitizing of Archival footage Licenses for archival footage Material purchases (ex.

hard drives, tapes, etc.) The application package must be complete and compliant with all the eligibility criteria. Selections are made in alignment with the NFB’s mandate to reflect a balance of genres and formats, a balance between emerging and established talent, regional representation, and adherence to our commitments to Indigenous sovereignty and to diversity.

Learn more about our engagements In-House @ Balmoral, the NFB’s Headquarters in Montreal This program offers selected filmmakers the opportunity to travel to Montreal to complete a portion of their post-production work in-house at our Balmoral studios.

The services provided by the FAP to filmmakers working in or travelling to Montreal include NFB post-production services and access to post-production equipment such as picture and sound editing suites, online editing services, title and credits design, sound effects, voice recording, mixing, access to the NFB archives, master copies and authoring of a complete digital cinema package (DCP).

Filmmakers living in Montreal or within 150 km of Montreal must cover 10% of the total cost of requested post-production services. The NFB covers the remaining 90% in the form of an in-kind contribution at the post-production stage in our studios in Montreal.

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 to acknowledge additional costs accrued. All services are provided as in-kind contributions. Outside labour resources such as editors and sound designers are not covered under the FAP, except in the case of the sound edit or colour correction.

Post-Production Services offered at Balmoral Offline Editing (excludes labour) Colour correction and online editing Sound Editing (excludes labour) Music and Voice Recording (excluding performers) Reduced Rates for NFB Stock Shots Digital Cinema Package (DCP) authoring For all short documentary, fiction, animation and experimental films, FAP supports image and sound post-production.

For all mid-length and feature documentary and animation films, FAP offers image or sound post-production services. We invite you to indicate your choice when filling out the form.

__________________________ Applications will be reviewed according to the following eligibility criteria: Feasibility: The application package must be complete and compliant with all the eligibility criteria, including demonstrated financing structure or completed rough cut to ensure project will be completed. Capacity: the filmmakers’ needs must match the NFB’s capacity.

Selections are made in alignment with the NFB’s mandate to reflect a balance of genres and formats, a balance between emerging and established talent, regional representation, and adherence to our commitments to Indigenous sovereignty and to diversity. The director must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status. The film must be an independent Canadian production.

Secured financing for the project must be demonstrated and shared (support provided through the FAP should be complementary to the financing structure). The filmmaker cannot be developing or producing another project with the NFB or another FAP program (i.e., only one project at a time allowed).

Production and post-production schedules or production must be finalized to allow us to situate the filmmaker’s submission in our calendar and evaluate capacity.

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 (0-30 minutes) 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 or music videos.

When do I submit my application? Filmmakers can submit their application at any point in their production period when they have a clear sense of when and what types of post-production support will be required. That said, post production that you would like to be reimbursed for cannot begin before your FAP contract is signed (see below for acceptance notification as your guide).

To submit an application for in-house services at Balmoral, you need to have a sense of your post-production schedule (with flexibility of 6–8 weeks) to allow us to assess your request against availability. Submissions will be assessed three times per year at the following times.

Please note all relevant dates to your application – Submission Deadline: March 14, 2026 – 5pm EST Acceptance notification: Week of April 13, 2026 Reimbursement Deadline: September 30, 2026* *Postproduction services reimbursements for Term 1 will have to be submitted by this date.

Submission Deadline: June 13, 2026 – 5pm EST Acceptance notification: Week of June 29, 2026 Reimbursement Deadline: December 31, 2026* *Postproduction services reimbursements for Term 2 will have to be submitted by this date.

Submission Deadline: October 10, 2026 – 5pm EST Acceptance notification: Week of October 26, 2026 Reimbursement Deadline: March 15, 2026* *Postproduction services reimbursements for Term 3 will have to be submitted by this date. Please note: we have two different submission forms – one for local and one for in-house services @ Balmoral (Montreal). Please make sure you fill in the appropriate form.

All applications must be submitted through our submission form . Key info: name, phone number, address, email; Self-declaration form: The NFB strongly encourages each filmmaker to complete its self-declaration questionnaire to support our mandated commitments to diversity, equity and accessibility. This information will be utilized as part of our project-selection process.

One-page summary of the project, including a synopsis and a filmmaker’s statement summarizing their creative approach; Budget and financing structure; Production and post-production schedule, with a list of the post-production services requested in order of priority with corresponding quote or estimates for services requested; CV of key creative team members (editor, producer and any other key creatives you’d like to include).

Letters of intent from all funding sources or partners. All applications must be submitted through our submission form . Key info: name, phone number, address, email; Self-declaration form: The NFB strongly encourages each filmmaker to complete its self-declaration questionnaire to support our mandated commitments to diversity, equity and accessibility.

This information will be utilized as part of our project-selection process.

One-page summary of the project, including a synopsis and a filmmaker’s statement summarizing their creative approach; Budget and financing structure; Production and post-production schedule, with a list of the post-production services requested in order of priority; Picture-lock link to view the film: projects requiring online post-production and/or sound services must be at the locked-edit stage before work begins at the NFB; CV of key creative team members (editor, producer and any other key creatives you’d like to include).

Letters of intent from all funding sources or partners. Submit my project: Balmoral Will the NFB acquire the distribution rights or other rights to my project? Does the production have to be entirely in English?

The FAP accepts projects in any language except French (projects in French must be submitted to the NFB’s ACIC program, if they fulfil the program criteria). A film produced in a language other than English must have an English version, including opening and closing credits and subtitles in that language. Is there a limit to the extent of support provided through the FAP?

Yes. Because of the limited capacity of its post-production services, the NFB may be able to provide only some of the services requested. For reimbursement, the amount is up to $7,500 per short and $15,000 per feature.

Can the FAP serve to pay for the services of crew members such as editors, sound recordists, musicians, etc.? No; the FAP cannot subsidize the salaries of third-party crew members as stand alone fees. If the labor is part of a wider package (color correction for example) Which technical services can be included in post-production?

Services covered include: Titles / Credits / Supers / Closed Captions Sound Design and/or Sound Editing Foley / Foley Studio Rental / Foley Artist Sound Mixing / Sound Mixer Digital Masters (digital delivery) DCP Authoring (digital delivery) Reduced Rate for NFB Archives Music / Music Recording / Composing / Composer / Musicians Animation and/or Motion Graphics and/or VFX Film Processing / Transfers of Dailies / Digitizing of Archival footage Licenses for archival footage Material purchases (ex.

hard drives, tapes, etc.) Does the FAP provide shooting or production support? Can a producer submit a project to the FAP? Yes, provided that the film is a Canadian production as defined by CAVCO and the project complies with the program specifications.

Can I submit more than one project to the FAP in the same fiscal year? No. Only one project per production company or per filmmaker per year is permitted. If I want to travel to Montreal, will the NFB pay my way?

No. To accommodate filmmakers who reside more than 150 km from Montreal, we waive the 10% post-production fee to support some of the accrued travel costs. How do I know whether I qualify for the 10% waiver? If you reside more than 150 km from NFB headquarters in Montreal, you will not have to pay the 10% fee; the NFB will cover the entire cost.

When are applications due? Applications are due on the corresponding deadlines assigned for each term. See the exact dates above.

How will the projects be selected? For each project submitted, we will make our decision based on capacity (either financial or resources and availability of services) and feasibility, and in accordance with our mandates and commitments to racial, gender, language-based, Indigenous and regional representation. Can the NFB provide a letter of intent for funders?

The NFB can issue a letter of intent upon request if funding sources require it. This letter will summarize the nature of the NFB support, subject to availability of resources and the timetable. It will remain valid for a limited time, and the filmmaker will have to submit a new application if the letter’s validity expires.

Please contact the FAP team if you have any questions. The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy