BC’s Knowledge Network is inviting mid-career and senior Indigenous BC producers to submit development proposals for premium limited documentary series of 3 to 4 one-hour episodes, for broadcast on our television channel and streaming service.
This is our third and final proposal intake round for Stories (Un)told, a partnership with Creative BC.
We’re looking for layered and resonant BC stories (contemporary or historical) that have been hidden from view or that are being reframed with new context and insight. These stories can reach beyond BC, but they need to have a BC anchor. The series will premiere in Storyville – our flagship documentary strand that focuses on social issues.
One project will be selected for development with the goal of moving into production in 2027. Financial support will be in the form of a development license fee and potentially an allocation from Knowledge Network’s CMF Envelope. (TBD based on confirmation of our envelope amount in April 2026.)
The two projects previously commissioned for Stories (Un)told are:
Seeking Saltwater – in production. This three-part series moves between past and present to tell an intimate story of Chinese-Canadians in B.C. Black Rhino Creative Inc is leading the project, with award-winning filmmaker Ryan Mah as director backed by producers Daniel Berish, Joanna Wong and Leah Mallen. Seeking Saltwater is a timely and inventive reimagining of the Chinese-Canadian experience that excavates the layers of who we once were, who we are now and what we hope to become in the future.
Rural Med: Life on the Edge – in development from Vancouver’s Omnifilm Entertainment, this four-part series will profile the work of dedicated healthcare professionals operating in remote and rural communities across B.C., where they must contend with unique difficulties — including vast distances, lack of transportation infrastructure, staffing shortages and scarce resources — to keep the people they care about healthy and safe.
Eligibility Criteria for the Applicant
- Must be a for-profit incorporated production company.
- Lead production company and owners must be Indigenous (First Nations/Inuit/Metis) and based in BC (51% minimum). We’re open to national or international co-productions provided the core criteria for resonant BC stories is met.
- Director must be a BC resident.
- Producer must have a minimum of 3 producer credits on feature length documentaries or full season of series. (Short format episodes less than 30 minutes do not meet criteria.)
- Director must have a minimum of 3 director credits on feature length documentaries or full season of series (Short format episodes less than 30 minutes do not meet criteria.)
- Short format online content does not meet criteria.
- Proficiency and experience with funders and mandatory documentation. (Such as CMF, Tax Credits, CAVCO, CRTC, insurance.)
This stream is intended as a unique opportunity for mid-career and senior Indigenous BC documentary filmmakers to work on a larger creative canvas at the level of their ability and imagination in the service of our Knowledge Network audiences. High production values are a core expectation.
The following content is not eligible:
- Scripted
- Magazine style
- Lifestyle
- Reality
- Factual
- Travel
We will be hosting a Q&A session for producers seeking additional information about this call and working with Knowledge Network on the following date:
- November 14, 2025, 10amPT – virtual session (Please RSVP by November 11,2025)
TO RSVP for this session please email Nikki Beesley at nikkib@knowledge.ca
If you do not have the specific number of credits indicated in the eligibility criteria listed below but feel your accumulated experience in other documentary roles demonstrates the requisite skills/experience to lead on a project of this scope and scale, we will consider the argument you put forward. Please include details in your submission.
Deadline for Submissions – January 30, 2026 at 5:00 pm PST. (The application portal will be closed and proposals submitted later than 5:00 pm will not be accepted.)
The successful applicant will be determined by March 2026.
Question? Please contact Nikki Beesley at 604.431.3114 or nikkib@knowledge.ca
To request Accessibility Support please contact us no less than 4 weeks before the submission deadline.
