Manitoba Film and Music

What Manitoba Film and Music does

Manitoba Film and Music (legally Manitoba Film and Sound Recording Development Corporation; operating as Manitoba Film & Music in English and Musique et film Manitoba in French) is a provincial Crown corporation headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Treaty 1 Territory. Established in the mid-1980s and active since 1987, the organization serves as the Province of Manitoba's official film commission, administrator of the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit, and direct funder of film and music projects. It is funded by, and reports to, the Province of Manitoba through the Ministry of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, and is governed by a board appointed by the Province. It does not generate commercial revenue; instead it administers grant programs and tax credits on behalf of the provincial government.

The agency delivers three integrated lines of business: (1) Film Commission Services, including location scouting, production infrastructure coordination, key industry contacts, and attraction of productions such as Paramount-CBS/Netflix's Independence Season 2; (2) Film & TV Financing, comprising the Manitoba Cost-of-Salaries Tax Credit, the Manitoba Cost-of-Production Tax Credit, and a layered funding stack spanning development (Feature Film Development Fund, Television and Web-Based Development Fund, Pitch Readiness Program), production (Feature Film Production Fund, Television and Web-Based Production Fund, Grant Program for Emerging Talent and Micro-Budget Production, Manitoba Indigenous Short Film Fund), and marketing (Feature Film Marketing Fund, Access to Markets and Access to Festivals Programs); and (3) Music Programs, structured around five streams (Produce, Produce – Out-of-Province Artists, Promote, Perform, Build) plus an Indigenous IMPACT Program and a curated roster of funded artists promoted via YouTube and Spotify. Underlying technology is limited to a SmartSimple online application portal for funding and tax credit submissions and Mailchimp for newsletter distribution; the agency has published an Artificial Intelligence Policy as an industry resource.

MFM's customer base is heterogeneous and fragmented across film producers, television producers, documentary makers, Indigenous creators, emerging talent, and Manitoba-based musicians, with no single applicant dominating disclosures. Strategic direction is set by a 2025-2028 Strategic Plan focused on economic growth, job creation, and highlighting Manitoba stories and talent. Current executive leadership comprises CEO and Manitoba Film Commissioner Lynne Skromeda (appointed August 8, 2023) and Director of Film Commission Services & Industry Development Steven Foster (effective July 2, 2025).

Name

Manitoba Film and Music

Legal name

Manitoba Film and Sound Recording Development Corporation

Website

https://mbfilmmusic.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manitoba Film and Music is a Winnipeg-based provincial Crown corporation that serves as Manitoba's official film commission, administrator of the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit, and direct funder of film and music projects, serving producers, musicians, Indigenous creators, and emerging talent across the province.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Music Industry Support

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Film commission services
• Production tax credits
• Film funding programs
• Music funding programs
• Entertainment industry support

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a provincial government-funded agency, Manitoba Film & Music operates through annual funding from the Province of Manitoba via Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but distributes funds to support film and music industry development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Manitoba Film and Music is a provincial Crown corporation that administers the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit, provides film commission services (location scouting, production infrastructure coordination, and industry contacts), and distributes funding programs for film and music projects in Manitoba. The organization supports development, production, and marketing stages of film and television projects, plus music recording, promotion, performance, and career development activities for Manitoba-based artists.

Product overview

Manitoba Film and Music (operating as MFM) is a provincial government agency that serves as a film commission office, administrator of the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit, and funder of film and music projects. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of services including Film Commission support (location services, production infrastructure, key contacts), Film & TV Financing through tax credits (Cost-of-Salaries and Cost-of-Production), and Film & TV Funding Programs spanning development, production, and marketing stages. For music, MFM provides funding through five core programs (Produce, Produce-Out-of-Province Artists, Promote, Perform, Build) plus the Indigenous IMPACT Program. The organization recently developed an Artificial Intelligence Policy as a resource for the industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Commission Services Provides location scouting, production infrastructure coordination, key industry contacts, and support services for productions filming in Manitoba.
• Manitoba Cost-of-Salaries Tax Credit Tax credit program based on salaries paid to Manitoba residents for eligible film and television productions.
• Manitoba Cost-of-Production Tax Credit Tax credit program based on production costs incurred in Manitoba for eligible film and television productions.
• Feature Film Development Fund Development-stage funding for feature film projects in Manitoba.
• Television and Web-Based Development Fund Development-stage funding for television and web-based productions in Manitoba.
• Pitch Readiness Program for Multi-Episode Productions Prepares multi-episode productions for market presentation.
• Feature Film Production Fund Production-stage funding for feature films in Manitoba (currently closed until April 1, 2027 due to demand).
• Television and Web-Based Production Fund Production-stage funding for television and web series in Manitoba (currently closed until April 1, 2027 due to demand).
• Grant Program for Emerging Talent and Micro-Budget Production Supports emerging filmmakers and micro-budget productions in Manitoba.
• Manitoba Indigenous Short Film Fund Dedicated funding for Indigenous short film production in Manitoba.
• Feature Film Marketing Fund Supports marketing and distribution efforts for feature films in Manitoba.
• Access to Markets and Access to Festivals Programs Provides funding for market access and festival participation for Manitoba productions.
• Produce Program Music production funding for Manitoba-based artists, including Demo, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 tiers.
• Produce – Out-of-Province Artists Program Production funding for artists from outside Manitoba working in the province.
• Promote Program Funding for music promotion activities for Manitoba-based artists.
• Perform Program Funding for music performance activities for Manitoba-based artists.
• Build Program Career development funding for musicians, including Level 1 and Level 2 tiers.
• Indigenous: IMPACT Program Dedicated funding program for Indigenous music artists in Manitoba.

Quantifiable outcome

• Film production grew from $12 million in early 1990s to over $269 million in 2019

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canada Media Fund (CMF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2024Manitoba Film & Music partnered with Canada Media Fund to boost early-stage funding for documentaries. MFM is limited to triggering a maximum of two projects for CMF's Predevelopment Program, reviewing and ranking applications to provide letters of interest to successful applicants.
• Black Screen OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManitoba Film & Music is a proud signatory of the Black Screen Office's Anti-Black Racism Policy Framework, demonstrating commitment to ensuring equal access and participation for Black people in the industry.
• Edwards Creative LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdwards Creative Law, in association with Manitoba Film & Music and On Screen Manitoba, provided a series of free media production industry-focused legal information seminars for emerging to mid-level producers.
• On Screen ManitobaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented legal information seminars with Edwards Creative Law and Manitoba Film & Music for the media production industry.
• SmartSimplecoreTechnology or IntegrationApplication portal provider used by Manitoba Film & Music for managing funding and tax credit applications. Personal information submitted through SmartSimple is subject to their privacy policy and terms of service.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MBFilmMusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/mbfilmmusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manitoba Film and Music