Canada Games Online Conference 2020 (September 9-10 & 17-18)

• When COVID-19 hit, a Nordicity study showed that while many video game studios experienced a positive market bump, there were others that were negatively affected by not having access to market. Notably, smaller or newer studios with prototypes ready to show were in trouble. Conferences that were typically relied on for business development and connecting with publishers and investors ended up being cancelled. Many have come back as online events, but how does a small to medium-sized game studio get noticed?
• The Canadian video game sector responded and industry associations from Ontario, Quebec, BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and PEI worked together to revitalize the CIAIC and organize the Canada Games Online Conference. This has been designed to help Canadian video game developers grow their businesses, and it promises to be a high-quality event with 50+ international publishers and investors already signed up to attend. We’d like to thank to the Canada Media Fund and Canadian Heritage for funding this endeavour.
• Learn more: www.canadagamesonline.com

Canada Media Fund COVID-19 Emergency Relief Funds (IDM)

• DigiBC and our partner trade associations across the country wrote to request that the Canada Media Fund create a second fund to help studios that were not served by the first fund. The CMF announced Phase 2 of the fund which is $10M going to Canada’s interactive digital media companies. This is part of the $27.8M in funding that was designated for Canada’s audiovisual sector as part of Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations by the Government of Canada. DigiBC appreciated the opportunity to consult with the CMF on the structure of this funding.
• This funding is being made available to applicants who have not previously received CMF COVID-19 Emergency Relief Funds and who meet the eligibility criteria.
• Eligible applicants will receive between $5,000 and $100,000, to be determined through a formula-based approach.
• Application window is open from August 31 until September 25.
• This is considered emergency non-repayable operations funding (not program funding).