NFB Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP)
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Winning means you must assign rights to the funder. 9 ask that.
- Scored mainly on whether you can afford it and pay it back. 42 lead with that.
- States real length limits, about 50 words in total. Only 64 tell you how long to write.
Can you win this grant?
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Provides independent Canadian filmmakers with either cash reimbursement (up to $7,500 for shorts, $15,000 for features) or in-kind post-production services at NFB's Balmoral studios in Montreal. Covers editing, colour correction, sound mixing, and DCP authoring. Filmmakers retain full copyright.
Eligibility Requirements
- Director must be Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Film must be an independent Canadian production
- Must demonstrate secured financing
- Cannot be developing another project with NFB concurrently
- Eligible formats: short, medium-length or feature-length documentary; short-form web documentary series; animated short, medium or feature film; short fiction film (0-30 minutes); experimental short film
- Language: any language except French (French-language projects go to the NFB's ACIC program); a non-English film must be delivered with an English version including English opening/closing credits and subtitles
- The director/applicant must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. No incorporation required — individuals and production companies are both eligible.
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $7,500 (short films); up to $15,000 (feature-length); or in-kind post-production services at Balmoral (NFB covers 90% of the cost within 150 km of Montreal — filmmaker pays 10% — and 100% beyond 150 km; no fixed dollar value)
- Type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Co-Funding
- Up to 100% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Three terms per year; 2026 deadlines: March 14, June 13, October 10 (5pm EST). Next deadline: October 10, 2026.
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Accessible — straightforward requirements
Moderate competition — prepare a strong application
Moderate — standard requirements
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipTwo options: Local (cash reimbursement, Canada-wide) or Balmoral (in-kind at NFB Montreal studios).
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How FAP judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-04.
6 of the sources
- Filmmaker Assistance Program - FAP production.nfbonf.ca
- FAP Local Reimbursement Submission Form 2026 forms.cloud.microsoft
- FAP In-House @ Balmoral Submission Form 2026 forms.cloud.microsoft
- Filmmaker Assistance Program Guidelines and Application - North… production.nfbonf.ca
- From Bella Coola to Baie-Comeau, the NFB is supporting 26 new… canada.ca
- Equity & Representation production.nfbonf.ca
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What FAP favours
Feasibility: complete, compliant package with financing or rough cut◦
“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.”
The form
Section 1: Key Info
- 1Section 1: Key Infoshort answerno limit
- 2Role of applicant (producer, director etc.)short answerno limit
- 3Is the director a Canadian citizen or permanent resident?selectionno limit
- 4Is the director currently developing or producing another project with the NFB?selectionno limit
Project
- 5Project Titleshort answerno limit
- 6Project Logline or short synopsiswritten answer · 300 characters
- 7Link to rough cut, fine cut or picture lock (Local stream)short answerno limit
- 8Link to rough cut, fine cut or picture lock (Balmoral stream)short answerno limit
- 9Estimated runtimeshort answerno limit
- 10Genre and format of your project (Local stream)selectionno limit
- 11Genre and format of your project (Balmoral stream)selectionno limit
- 12Filmmaker's level of experienceselectionno limit
- 13When are you anticipating being in post-production? (Local stream)short answerno limit
- 14When are you anticipating being in post-production? (Balmoral stream)short answerno limit
- 15Post-production services requested (Local stream)checkboxesno limit
- 16Total requested (Local stream)written answerno limit
Please share the total you are requesting for support in post production for the services selected above.
- 17Post-production services requested, in order of priority (Balmoral stream)written answerno limit
Section 3: Project Attachments
- 18Section 3: Project Attachmentslistno limit
- 19Budgetspreadsheetno limit
- 20Financing structuretableno limit
- 21Letters of intent from funders and partnersshort answerno limit
- 22Production and post-production calendartableno limit
- 23One-page summary: synopsis and filmmaker's statementwritten answer · 1 pageno limit
- 24Director CV and key creatives listlistno limit
Confirmation and consent
- 25Please confirm all attachments have been sent:selectionno limit
- 26Contact consentselectionno limit
After submission
- 27Voluntary self-declaration questionnaire (after submission)checkboxesno limit
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
- 1
Will this film actually get finished?
Show them Show secured, itemised financing and a viewable cut, and send every attachment as a correctly named PDF.◦
In the funder’s words · 2
- 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.
- The application package must be complete and compliant with all the eligibility criteria.
- 2
Can the NFB actually deliver what you asked for?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
- 3
Does this filmmaker fit the NFB's mandate?
What to show, and the funder’s 1 criterion behind it in Premium
5 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“The NFB cannot reimburse any services that started or finished before your application was approved.”
“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).”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 16 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
8 more rules that can reject you · 2 more criteria · 14 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Canadian director or resident
The director must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status.
No other active NFB project
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).
The project
Independent Canadian production
The film must be an independent Canadian production.
Financing secured and demonstrated
Secured financing for the project must be demonstrated and shared (support provided through the FAP should be complementary to the financing structure).
Documentary of any length
Short, medium-length or feature-length documentary;
Animated short, mid or feature
Animated short, medium or feature film;
Short fiction, 0-30 minutes
Short fiction film (0-30 minutes)
Experimental short film
Experimental short film.
1 thing this funder says you do NOT need, in Premium.
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Ceiling per projectUp to $7,500 short, $15,000 feature
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 total offerings will be subject to filmmakers requests falling somewhere in between these two brackets).
How support is paidCash reimbursement on expense reports
If an application is accepted, support is provided through cash reimbursement to the filmmaker upon receipt of expense reports and proof of payment.
Your share10% local, 0% beyond 150 km
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.
StackingMust show secured financing; complementary
Secured financing for the project must be demonstrated and shared (support provided through the FAP should be complementary to the financing structure).
Costs before approvalNo reimbursement before application approval
Please note, reimbursements are only possible for approved expenses after projects have been accepted into FAP. The NFB cannot reimburse any services that started or finished before your application was approved.
What it pays for · 2
- Services covered include: Online Editing; Colour Correction; 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)
- Post-Production Services offered at Balmoral: Offline Editing (excludes labour) Online editing Colour correction and online editing Titles, credits & supers Sound Editing (excludes labour) Foley Music and Voice Recording (excluding performers) Sound Mixing Reduced Rates for NFB Stock Shots Digital Masters Digital Cinema Package (DCP) authoring
What it does not pay for · 2
- Not eligible: Offline Editing; 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 software; Licenses for music; Licenses for archival footage; Material purchases (ex. hard drives, tapes, etc.)
- Please note that we cannot reimburse for pre-production, production and versioning services.
From application to money
- Submit by 5pm ESTSubmit by 5pm EST on deadline
- Acceptance notificationNotified week after each deadline
- Sign the FAP contractSign FAP contract before post-production
- Do the post-productionApproved quotes, work after acceptance
- Claim reimbursementReimbursement on expense reports, proof of payment
In the funder’s words · 5
- Submit by 5pm EST
- Choose the form for your stream, email the PDF attachment package to [email protected], and confirm in the form that the attachments were sent. (Term 1: March 14, 2026 - 5pm EST; Term 2: June 13, 2026 - 5pm EST; Term 3: October 10, 2026 - 5pm EST)
- Acceptance notification
- The NFB notifies applicants in the week following each term's deadline. (Week of April 13, 2026 / Week of June 29, 2026 / Week of October 26, 2026)
- Sign the FAP contract
- Post-production you want reimbursed cannot begin before your FAP contract is signed.
- Do the post-production
- Every quote needs approval before the work begins, and only services rendered after acceptance are reimbursable.
- Claim reimbursement
- Reimbursement comes on receipt of expense reports and proof of payment. (Reimbursement Deadline: September 30, 2026* / December 31, 2026* / March 15, 2027*)
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win FAP
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 8-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 4-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 5-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 8
Eligible Expenses 9
Ineligible Expenses 8
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
None RiskHow FAP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFB Filmmaker Assistance Program (FAP) | Up to $7,500 | Moderate | Reimbursement | Three terms per year;... |
| Telefilm Canada Funding Programs | Varies | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Multiple annual intake... |
| Canada Council for the Arts Grants | Varies | Moderate | Milestone-Based | Multiple annual cycles.... |
| Ontario Creates — IP Fund (Linear Con... | up to $25,000 | Moderate | Milestone-Based | The September 22, 2026... |
| Creative BC — Domestic Motion Picture... | $50,000-$200,000 | Hard | Reimbursement | Between intakes — Round... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about FAP