A variety of formats including short, mid-length and feature documentaries, as well as short format documentary series.

Interested in telling stories that fall within the following social purpose themes:

Health and Well-being

Flourishing Communities

Environment/Sustainability

Connectivity/Technology

Food Systems and Security

All content is exhibited on TELUS Optik® VOD and TELUS’ digital platforms. (fixed term web-holdbacks may be negotiated).

Cannot engage in treaty co-productions.

Do not fund the following content:

Game, Competition, Lifestyle, True Crime, Music Video, Scripted (short or long-form) or “Reality” TV/Web (docu-soap, occu-soap or soft-scripted).

In general, TELUS originals funds documentaries with unique points of view driven by access, characters or subjects, and compelling narratives. In their evaluation process, they look for projects that:

Capture a contemporary narrative, unfolding in the present.

Or present formerly overlooked historical narratives, making clear their relationship to the current moment.

Explore issues of social relevance to Canadians.

Are story-driven, and from a specific, explicit POV

Or, are access-driven, providing unprecedented entry into a subject or world

Or, provide a new point of entry to a world we thought we knew - but clearly don’t!

Are locally reflective, and also have national or global resonance.

Provide a compelling vision of human empowerment, one that prompts change, or that fosters new understanding.

Present a clearly intersectional perspective.

Some questions they might consider when reviewing your pitch:

Does your film shed light on something formerly hidden from view?

Does your story challenge stereotypes?

Is your film truly reflective of the geographic and demographic communities you seek to represent?

Why are you the person to tell this story?

Why does this story need to be told?

Why now?

Where will this story be a year from now? Five years from now?

How will this story shift perspectives?

TELUS originals are funded from TELUS’ community access pool, an allotment that allows them to commission local producers to produce content that they support—and are thrilled to support local production!

Please note that as this is a production fund, we do not acquire finished films through the TELUS originals stream.

They are often able to provide funding at greater levels. They’re funding contributions can range from $30,000.00 to $250,000.00, depending on the scope and potential reach of the project. In addition, their standard practice is to flow funding 80/20 to support your production/post cash flow.

Due to TELUS’ CRTC Conditions of License, they are unable to support projects with financing that includes pre-sold second windows (except for those with APTN, Knowledge Network and TVO).

They are also unable to combine local content production funds with:

The Canada Media Fund

Telefilm

The National Film Board of Canada, or

Certified Independent Production Funds (including Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Cogeco and the TELUS Fund)

TELUS original productions are eligible for:

CAVCO Federal Tax Credit

Alberta’s Screen-based Production Grant (or Film and Television Tax Credit)

The Film Incentive BC Tax Credit

For Indigenous-led content, they are able to accept projects that are supported by the Canada Council For the Arts and the Indigenous Screen Office.

They are also able to accept arms-length, private contributions to your program, including corporate sponsorships from non-telecommunications companies, provided that they take a secondary position to TELUS in your credit obligations.

Films must, however, remain free of any direct references to, or endorsements of, products or services related to your content.

Development

TELUS is unable to provide development funds.

They do accept some development costs in your production budget.

Please ensure that you identify any previously received development funding.

TELUS originals accepts pitches for documentary production funding during one annual intake window annually.

The 2023 pitch intake window is now closed. Please allow up to 8 weeks following the closing date of each intake window for TELUS originals to communicate funding decisions.

They anticipate the next pitch intake window will be in late summer-early fall of 2024; however, dates are still to be determined and will be announced in spring 2024.