To apply for assistance under this program, you must:

• Be an artist or artists’ collective creating works independently;
• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. In the case of a collective, at least one member must meet this requirement.

PRIM invites emerging, mid-career and established artists to submit a project. In an effort to support diversity and inclusion, PRIM encourages proposals from artists who identify as members of a minority.

Assistance granted

• 85% discount on the non-member rate for room, studio and shooting equipment rental
• Access to the Risky Documentary rate for producing DCPs
• Project guidance and technical support

Projects accepted

One project per submission date may receive Doc at Risk assistance.
Projects rejected for this program will automatically be evaluated by the same jury under the Creation Assistance program.

General eligibility rules

An unlimited number of separate applications per application period and per artist are eligible.

The same project cannot be submitted to two programs simultaneously.

There is no limit as to the number of times a project may be submitted in the event it is rejected for a previous application period. However, we strongly recommend that you read and take into account the jury comments if you are thinking of submitting it later.

Eligible projects

All proposals for “risky” independent documentary productions

Note: Projects that are part of a school curriculum are not eligible.

Eligible costs

PRIM’s support under this program takes the form of a discount on the non-member rate for renting equipment for the following services:

• Sound and image capture (shooting)
• Sound recording
• Image editing and finishing
• Colorization
• Sound mixing
• Digitization, transfer and DCP creation

Non-eligible costs

The following expenses are not eligible:

• Technicians’ fees
• Distribution media and supplies

How to apply

To apply, you must complete the online application form and provide the following documents:

• CV of the artist or the members of the artists’ collective applying
• Audio/video supporting documentation (15 min max in total) in the form of links to Vimeo or other
• Any other documentation that the artist feels is pertinent (photos, illustrations, script…)

SPRING: 3rd Wednesday of April at 11:59pm
FALL: 3rd Wednesday of October at 11:59pm

EXTENSION: Wednesday November 1st at 11:59pm

Evaluation process

Applications are first evaluated by the person in charge of the program at PRIM based on the program’s eligibility conditions.

Eligible applications are then evaluated by a jury of peers made up of people recognized for their skills in media arts.

The jury evaluates on merit based on the program’s evaluation criteria. At the end of the evaluation, the jury members decide whether to award Doc at Risk Assistance. Projects that do not receive jury backing for this program will then be evaluated according to the criteria of the Creation Assistance program, which will determine whether the assistance is awarded. Decisions are final and without appeal.

Evaluation criteria

The projects are evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Project’s interest and relevance (80%)
   • Project’s artistic value and originality
   • Level of project risk
   • Impacts and repercussions
   • Effect of the project on the evolution of the candidate’s work
   • Quality and relevance of the supporting material

2. Project’s feasibility (20%)
   • Realism of the work schedule and budget forecast
   • Ability of the candidate to complete the project from a technical standpoint In the case of a first work, the experience of collaborators will be taken into account.
   • Impact of the PRIM assistance on the project’s realization

Ethics

Jury members must follow the Jury Member Professional Ethics Code and the Conflict of Interest rules.

Response time

PRIM will notify you of the jury’s decision no later than two months after the program’s deadline.

Artists’ obligations

To benefit from Doc at Risk Assistance, recipients must become PRIM members, realize their project within two years of signing the agreement and meet all terms and conditions.