Harold Greenberg Fund Begins Transitioning Following Completion of Bell/Astral Tangible Benefits Funding

 – English-language program continues operations as additional partners invited to invest in fund's future –
– French-language program remains open through February –

TORONTO and MONTRÉAL, Aug. 31, 2020 /CNW/ - Bell Media confirmed today that the English and French-language programs of the Harold Greenberg Fund/Le Fonds Harold Greenberg will begin transitioning following the completion of seven years of financial support as result of the Bell/Astral transaction in 2013.

The English-language program continues status quo for at least the next 12 months with the support of Crave as the Fund invites additional partners to invest in its future.

"The Harold Greenberg Fund came to us with a plan to continue its English-language program by seeking alternate funding following completion of the benefits, and we are happy to provide our support in their efforts to attract complementary financial partners," said Randy Lennox, President, Bell Media.

"Bell Media has long believed in our mandate to award much-needed funding to talented Canadian storytellers and I am extremely grateful for their ongoing support of Canadian voices as we transition to a new funding model," said Suzette Couture, Co-Chair, Harold Greenberg Fund. "Clearly, this is a huge vote of confidence in the Fund's mission, and it is vital to our collective ongoing success."

Like many other funds supported by tangible benefits regulated by the CRTC, the French-language committee for Le Fonds Harold Greenberg has chosen to complete its mandate, and will wind down operations over the next six months. With considerable reserve funds, the program will focus exclusively on Fiction Feature Film Production. As of February 28, 2021, the French-language program will close and transfer any remaining funds to another certified independent production fund.

"Tangible benefits are established by CRTC decision and spread out over a limited period of time and then they stop," said Michel Houle, Co-Chair, Le Fonds Harold Greenberg. "Over its 25 years, Le Fonds Harold Greenberg has received tangible benefits on several occasions, and under the terms of these benefits, it has had to terminate related programs, including documentaries, music programs, and children's programs."

"We are proud of the investment made in Le Fonds Harold Greenberg and the legacy it will provide to the Québec film industry," said Karine Moses, President, Bell Media Québec and Bell's Vice-Chair, Québec. "We look forward to continued support for the industry and Québec film with investments from Super Écran and Crave, including more than two dozen Québec films in 2021 alone. As well, we are committed to the celebration and recognition of the industry via our partnerships with multiple film festivals including Rendez-vous de Québec Cinéma and RIDM."

The Harold Greenberg Fund/le Fonds Harold Greenberg provides reimbursable financial assistance for the development of feature films, as well as sponsoring industry workshops, training programs, festivals, special events, and awards. Since its inception in 1986, the French and English-language programs of the Fund have supported almost 5,000 projects and initiatives, for an investment of over $118 million to date in the Canadian film and television industry. Governed by one board of directors with two co-chairs, the English and French-language programs are managed independently, with decisions about projects determined by separate English and French-language selection committees.

About Bell Media
Bell Media is Canada's leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, digital media, and more. Bell Media owns 35 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's highest-rated television network, and the French-language Noovo network in Québec; 29 specialty channels, including leading specialty services TSN and RDS. Bell Media is Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 215 music channels including 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across the country, all part of the iHeartRadio brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of 50,000 faces in five provinces. The country's digital media leader, Bell Media develops and operates websites, apps, and online platforms for its news and entertainment brands; video streaming services Crave, TSN Direct, and RDS Direct; and multi-channel network Much Studios. The company owns a majority stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios; is a partner in Just for Laughs, the live comedy event and TV producer; and jointly owns Dome Productions Partnership., one of North America's leading production facilities providers. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.

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SOURCE Bell Media

Marie-Anna Murat, Director, Communications, Bell Media, [email protected]