On Monday, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) announced a $14 million round of funding to 25 interactive digital media (IDM) projects as part of their Experimental Stream. CMF’s track record in its three years of doling out digital media funding spans 112 projects and $58 million in funding for production support. Production support (as opposed to Development, or Marketing and Promotion support) backs projects coming out of the conceptual phase and heading into the path to market and commercialization.
The Final Closing Dates for CMF’s 2012-2013 Experimental Stream of funding are as follows:
Production: Sept 18, 2012
Development: Oct 2, 2012
Marketing & Promotion: Oct 2, 2012
Funded Projects
A lot of funded IDM products are digital games – here are some other examples of innovative, creative, out-of-the-box projects which really encapsulate the marriage of content and technology that programs like CMF seek to support.
BURGANDY JAZZ – $360,000
An interactive documentary with augmented reality (AR) and geo-localized content that explores Montreal’s role in jazz music history through the legendary musicians of the Little Burgundy neighbourhood. The project includes a short Web doc series, an iPhone app with AR soundscapes embedded in walking tours, a website with geo-localized content, and an interactive eBook.
CosmoCamp – $532,170
Four read along storybooks and four new interactive toys will follow the space faring adventures of Migo and Pandy as they travel from planet to planet to meet new friends. CosmoCamp is being developed from the ground up with the use of interactive tablet applications specifically designed for toddlers (2-3 years old) and preschoolers (4-5 years old).
iFestivus – $747,869
An online platform for Facebook and iPads that creates a ‘live event experience’ by extending and enhancing the film festival environment through a virtual, mobile theatre with full social media capability. It is an online film festival for the digital generation of filmmakers and fans alike. iFestivus expands the audience by enabling fans to attend virtually with their friends. It enriches the experience by adding bona fide social elements, including access to talent, filmmakers and industry insiders, as well as interaction with other fans not possible in a physical theatre. It allows creators to connect directly with audiences without travel, protects vital industry “windows” via secure, customizable software, and creates trackable communities around individual live events, festivals, films and fans.
Studio in the Sky – $422,625
A web-based community and mobile app that allows musicians of all career levels to record tracks and release them online so the other members of the community may add their tracks, collaboratively creating a finished song.
View the full list of funded projects here.