First Cut Lab Canada

Deadline: September 15, 2026

For a third consecutive year, Telefilm Canada has renewed its partnership with FIRST CUT LAB, a consultancy program designed for 2 feature films supported by Telefilm Canada, in editing phase. Created in 2015, the First Cut Lab is a well-established and internationally recognized program managed by Tatino Films (Paris).

Telefilm Canada’s agreement with First Cut Lab allows two teams to participate in the next edition. The selected teams (director/producer/editor) are offered a creative framework, both benevolent & challenging, where to open new perspectives and to explore the whole artistic potential of their films.

The lab will be conducted online over 2 days, and schedules will be adjusted to meet the needs of the selected projects, within the period from November 2026 to March 15, 2027. A preferred period for the Lab should be mentioned in the application form.

Participants will screen their rough cuts in private sessions and receive expert feedback from three international film industry advisors and tailored advice from a consultant editor. The consultants and advisors will be chosen based on the profiles of the selected films. An overview of regular consultants can be found here.

Once the workshop is over, the participants will receive a report & a roadmap that can serve as guidance for further editing.

The main goal of First Cut Lab is to foster the artistic potential of the selected rough cuts and, at the same time, to increase the sales, festival and circulation potential of the completed films.