In a happier moment for Canadian producers, the Canada Media Fund has selected 25 kids projects that will each get a piece of roughly US$8 million (CAD$11.2 million) in funding this year.

This allocation for kids projects represents a sizable 40% of the annual funding that CMF is handing out through its Distributor Program. In total, it’s disbursing roughly US$19 million (CAD$26.8 million) to 63 projects, which also include documentaries and dramas.

Some of the kids projects that got funding include Sinking Ship’s hybrid live-action/CG-animated film The First Dinosaur, which Crave has signed on to release in fall 2026; 2D-animated Be With Zee (pictured) from Vérité Films, New Zealand’s Oddly Quiet and consultancy Media Tech Productions; and Turtlebox’s second season of Bumpadoo! (TVOKids) and third season of Mini Explorers.

The Distributor Program, which launched in October 2024, is a pilot initiative that allows applicants to apply for funding after securing financing from an eligible distributor. This is a significant change from the CMF’s traditional approach of requiring producers to have a Canadian broadcaster on board before it can unlock funds. Securing a broadcaster can be a challenging process, and the Distributor Program is designed to give applicants more flexibility when they try to get CMF funding.

“At a time where there is so much doom and gloom about the kids industry, this is amazing news for so many producers, animators, crew, writers and staff,” says Ken Faier, president and CEO of Epic Story Media. His subsidiary Epic Story Worlds submitted Globe Bros, which Epic Story Distribution is selling, along with another project that made the list: Thickety Thicket: The Holiday Specials from Moonshot Rights.

Faier predicts that all 25 kids projects combined could potentially generate 1,000 creative jobs next year. “Our industry in Canada has been stepping up to communicate about the huge drop in productions in our space,” he said. “I’m so impressed with the professionalism of the CMF and policy-makers to create systemic change that works. The value to our culture, to our country and to the worldwide audiences who will see and engage with amazing stories is hard to quantify.”

Turtlebox president Kat Kelly Hayduk likewise hailed the funding windfall. “Earlier seasons of Bumpadoo! and Mini Explorers! were produced through limited digital-series funding, which kept our episode counts small. This new support allows us to expand the brands and strengthen our chances for international sales.”

Of the projects that got funding (see the full list below), 17 are English-language and eight are French-language. Most will be produced in Ontario and Quebec (10 each), with four stationed in British Columbia and one in Nova Scotia.

English-language projects:

• Bumpadoo! (season two) – Turtlebox Productions
• Mini Explorers! (season three) – Turtlebox Productions
• The Nothing Club – Ceres Productions
• Be With Zee (season one) – Be With Zee Canada
• The Next Step: Cheer (season one) – Cheer Productions
• Hartford (season one) – Boat Rocker Studios
• The First Dinosaur – Sinking Ship (Dino Dex Movie) Productions
• Peg Pals (season two) – Imagine Create Media
• All-Round Champion (season seven) – Blue Ant Studios
• The Anta Claus – 9465-0991 Québec
• Happy Place (season two) – Imagine Create Media
• Julián – Julian Aircraft Productions
• Holidays with the Gumboot Kids – Imagine Create Media
• Screech Owls – Shaftesbury Development
• Globe Bros (season one) – Animation Globe
• Maui and Elvis – Presley Productions
• Thickety Thicket: The Holiday Specials – Moonshot Rights

French-language projects: 

• Coco Bou (season two) – Image-in Productions
• Jumelles (season one) – Productions KOTV II
• Barbapapa (season three) – PVP Animation VIII
• Les Millimus (season two) – Trio Orange
• Une Nuit 100 peurs (season one) – Les Productions Avanti-Toast
• Sous pression (season one) – PVP DOC XII
• Mini-Jean et Mini-Bulle (season five) – Happy Camper Media (Animation 5)
• Truffe (season one) – Happy Camper Media (Animation 5)