Introduction & Guidelines
Why are we launching this pilot?
The CBC/DOCUMENTARY ORGANISATION OF CANADA [“DOC”] Mental Health Initiative for Documentary Filmmakers is a new program aimed at addressing mental health challenges in the Canadian documentary film industry. According to a new report on mental health in the Canadian documentary sector, “documentary filmmakers face a unique set of challenges in their work which negatively affect their mental health and overall well-being”. Filmmakers across the board agreed that there needs to be a line item in documentary film budgets for mental health support.
The most recent Canadian Survey on Disability from 2022 (Stats Canada, 2022) shows that mental-health related disabilities are becoming more prevalent and account for the largest increase of any type of disability among Canadians. "The increase in mental health-related disabilities aligns with other findings related to mental health. In fact, the proportion of people reporting very good or excellent mental health decreased over the past several years, while the proportion of people reporting fair or poor mental health increased."
With so many documentary filmmakers reporting mental health injuries and illnesses, it is imperative that we openly discuss, and normalize mental health support in the industry. One of the strategic objectives in CBC’s National Accessibility Plan is to partner with other organizations on projects that increase opportunities for creatives with disabilities (whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature). This program seeks to help documentary filmmakers facing mental health challenges tell their stories, and ensure that their vital, distinctive voices are not lost.
This pilot initiative will shine a light on mental health in documentary filmmaking and the need to create a more sustainable documentary filmmaking industry in Canada that prioritizes mental well-being.
This Initiative is the first of its kind for CBC and DOC and directed specifically to supporting the Canadian documentary film sector by providing dedicated funding for documentary film projects to ensure that mental health needs are met.
The Program
The CBC/DOC Mental Health Initiative for Documentary Filmmakers will provide select documentary film productions with $1,000 that can be used for mental health support for producers (to be used by them directly or for the producers to allocate to their key creatives as needed.)
With budgets being stretched, and with mental health stigma, it can be difficult for filmmakers to allocate money to healthcare. This is why this funding will not be part of the production budget (spending on the screen), and will be used exclusively for mental health support.
Every project and person has different needs and different toolboxes that will help them. This funding can be used for measures including, but not limited to, subsidizing sessions with one's mental health practitioner. For those who do not already have a mental health practitioner, access to mental health practitioners who have a background in documentary production, but are now licensed therapists, can be facilitated.
For this pilot program, CBC will partner with Documentary Organisation of Canada (“DOC”), the collective voice of independent Canadian documentary creators and the nation’s premier organization for documentary advocacy. DOC will administer the fund in consultation with CBC.
At the end of the pilot, CBC and DOC will report back to the industry and use our learnings to enhance and evolve DOC’s mental health toolkit https://docorg.ca/mental-health-resources/
Who is eligible?
The CBC/DOC Mental Health Initiative for Documentary Filmmakers will invite all long-form independent documentary film productions currently working with CBC, that will be in principal photography in 2025, to apply to the program. Productions can use the funding received for the producers (or key creatives allocated by producers) working on the documentary who:
- Are Canadian citizens or permanent residents
- Are 18 years of age or older
- Are not currently employed by the CBC
Commitment
At the end of the pilot, the program participants will be asked to voluntarily share their feedback to help measure success and assist with future planning.
Accessibility
This program’s understanding of disability embraces the definition which is inclusive of visible and invisible disabilities, permanent, temporary, or episodic in nature as defined by The Accessible Canada Act. We are committed to working with participants to ensure that the program and its various components are accessible and inclusive.
Timeline
Potential applicants will be contacted by CBC in January 2025. Successful recipients to be notified by DOC and CBC before March 31, 2025.
Questions
Please reach out to Shibi Shetty partnerships@docorg.ca with any questions about the administration of this program.
