CO-PRODUCTIONS
Co-productions are a tremendous opportunity to combine financial resources and creative elements in proportional ratios for the benefit of an international product. In order to qualify for an official treaty co-production, we require Canadian distribution. Only then, a production also qualifies for the higher Canadian content tax credits as well as for funding from Telefilm Canada (for feature films) or the Canadian Media Fund (for television and digital media productions).
In other words, international co-productions require more Canadian elements than just the locations. The potential for public funding through Telefilm increases with the Canadian key creative elements as the writer or director. The potential for co-productions is enormous and so is the administrative effort for them. Which is why they make most sense for higher-budgeted productions. Co-productions require shared copyrights and territorial licenses and a minimum contribution of 20% from the minority partner.
We would recommended to initiate collaborations in the development stage in order to create a truly international product and to have the necessary preparation time for more complex financing.
Our expertise and part of our service is to administrate this for you and consult you through the bureaucratic process of either a service or a co-production. Our track record proves that our clients and partners were always entirely satisfied with the product and especially with the tax credits calculated and received in Canada. Our client list includes Polyphon, Studio Hamburg, ZDF, SAT.1, Schramm Film, Bavaria Studios, and the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
TO CO-PRODUCE OR NOT TO CO-PRODUCE?
What We Do
PRODUCTION SERVICES
Production services have the great advantage that overseas productions can come with a completed script, the actors, directors and other key creatives of their choice and market, and yet have the convenience of shooting with a professional Canadian team and receiving tax credits on labour booked in Canada.
In this case, we offer full-service from locations to the entire administration of the Canadian tax credits, plus consultation with work permits and staffing the production with a team of highly professional industry workers from location scouts to the art department to accounting to camera, grip and lighting to transport and (most important) catering to production management and line producing (well, yes that too). We also offer translation services for screenplays and other content.
SERVICES
We are a Production Company based in Vancouver and operate throughout North America and Europe. We produce all types of content including docs, features and television. We also service produce. Our dynamic team of multidisciplinary professionals collaborate with the best and most promising filmmakers in Canada.
If you have a project to shoot in Canada, do not hesitate to contact us, we will help you from the beginning to find the best production solution!
Simply put, we offer two options for overseas productions desiring to shoot in Canada:
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facilitating production services for European and especially German speaking partners in Canada;
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participating in international feature film or television co-productions as Canadian co-producer.
Both options can be streamlined to the creative and financial needs of the production.
Cedar Island Films strives to build bridges for international productions into the west of Canada.