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Sunday, June 9
| 10:30 AM |
New to BANFF Tour (10:30am - 11:30am)Cascade Informal tours designed to help you make the most of BANFF. Our team members will guide you through the festival features that'll help you meet your business goals. Drop in only. No advance sign-up required |
| 1:00 PM |
Deliver the Optimal Pitch (1:00pm - 2:00pm)Cascade Join Kevin Wright for a customized version of his Optimal Pitch workshop, designed to help emerging and established producers alike nail their big pitch. Wright will outline his approach to pitching, including how to dazzle your audience in the first few seconds. A career broadcaster who has heard thousands of pitches, Wright’s insider tips will help you refine your pitch before you embark on your BANFF experience. Featuring:
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| 3:15 PM |
Festival Opening Remarks (3:15pm - 3:45pm)Cascade Join us for a lineup of special guests who will help us open the 40th anniversary of the Banff World Media Festival. Featuring:
Andy FillmoreMP for Halifax and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage Government of Canada 
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| 3:45 PM |
The BANFF DEBATE: Media, Creativity and Technology: Thriving Ecosystem or Future Monoculture? (3:45pm - 5:00pm)In Partnership With  Cascade The media world sits at an unprecedented precipice, where international and local players compete for the attention of the global populace. As this evolution continues, what are the implications for all players? What does this mean for creator opportunities and consumer choice? How will domestic culture mandates be affected? Are local-only business models viable in a globalized industry? In opening the 40th anniversary of BANFF, we ask the big question: does the intersection of media, creativity and technology create unprecedented opportunity and ability to reach new audiences, or will the future hold a TV monoculture in which only a few companies dominate the global market? Moderating:
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| 5:00 PM |
SUMMIT SERIES: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Quibi (5:00pm - 6:00pm)In Partnership With .jpg) Cascade One of the entertainment industry’s most venerable executives, Jeffrey Katzenberg has been impressing and intriguing peers and competitors alike for over 40 years. His latest endeavour has all eyes on him once again, as he and his team launch Quibi, the first major entertainment platform purpose-built for high-quality mobile programming. Join BANFF in welcoming Katzenberg to the legendary Cascade Room main stage, where he will discuss the future of entertainment and how Quibi and its parent company, WndrCo, will help shape it. Along the way, he’ll share anecdotes from his stellar career, which has seen him at the helm of Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Studios and DreamWorks SKG and more. Moderating:
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Monday, June 10
| 9:00 AM |
SUMMIT SERIES: Paula Kerger, PBS (9:00am - 10:00am)Cascade Leading a public broadcaster is no easy feat. Juggling the dual mandates of public service and non-profit enterprise, a successful leader must have a unique toolbox of skills and strategic savvy. Clearly, as the longest-serving president and CEO of PBS in its history, Paula Kerger has all of this in spades. PBS is a behemoth public broadcaster, with nearly 350 member stations in the U.S. and an avid viewership that has propelled it to the #6 network in America under her tenure. As one of BANFF’s featured Summit Series speakers, Kerger brings her unparalleled experience to the historic Cascade Room main stage, sharing insights and anecdotes from her time at PBS and her vision for its place in the media landscape going forward. Moderating:
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| 10:00 AM |
Navigating the Content Business: Future Forecast (10:00am - 11:00am)In Partnership With  Alberta Mega-mergers, new platforms with infinite spending power and an increasingly fragmented viewing environment. The future landscape is coming more clearly into focus. Is scale the only way to thrive in the new ecosystem? Or can regional and independent models still be sustainable? Join our panel of media leaders as they dive into the big topics that will shape the business for the years to come. Moderating:
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| 11:30 AM |
SUMMIT SERIES: Sarah Barnett, AMC Entertainment Networks (11:30am - 12:30pm)In Partnership With  Cascade One of America’s leading television executives, Sarah Barnett oversees AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV and AMC Premiere as President of AMC’s Entertainment Networks. Previously, she was president and GM of BBC AMERICA and under her watch, the brand rose to prominence as a programming powerhouse, with award-winning and critically-acclaimed hits like Orphan Black, Planet Earth and Killing Eve. A specialist in entertainment marketing and branding, Barnett also led a rebirth of SundanceTV starting in 2009, when she launched the network’s scripted strategy with critical hits like Top of the Lake, Rectify and The Honorable Woman. Join us to get the scoop on Barnett’s bold vision for the portfolio of networks that is home to some of TV’s biggest shows. Moderating:
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| 1:30 PM |
In Conversation With: Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard, Line of Duty) (1:30pm - 2:30pm)In Partnership With  Cascade Join us for an exclusive conversation with BAFTA nominee Jed Mercurio, creator and showrunner of recent blockbuster dramas Bodyguard and Line of Duty. The prolific showrunner’s programming has been breaking records across the UK. The finale for BBC One’s Bodyguard became the UK’s most-watched episode of any drama series across all channels since current records began in 2002 last fall, and the season five premiere of Line of Duty was the most-watched program of 2019 across all channels when it bowed in March. Hear Mercurio discuss his work, his view on the industry and his future plans. Moderating:
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Public Broadcasting: The Promise, The Peril (1:30pm - 2:30pm)In Partnership With  New Brunswick Public broadcasters occupy a unique place in the media universe: protected on one level by public mandate but vulnerable on the other to capitalistic forces and government whims. So what are the key strategies public broadcasters are using to not only survive in today’s ultra-competitive media marketplace, but thrive both creatively and commercially? Join the leaders of international public broadcasters at BANFF to find out how the role of the modern public broadcaster is being reshaped in the midst of industry upheaval. Moderating:
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| 2:30 PM |
In Conversation With: Fenton Bailey (Co-Founder, World of Wonder – Executive Producer, RuPaul’s Drag Race) (2:30pm - 3:00pm)Cascade Sashay over to Cascade for an exclusive conversation with Fenton Bailey, Co-Founder of World of Wonder, the Emmy award-winning production company behind RuPaul’s Drag Race, the Million Dollar Listing franchise, Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, and over 20 years of ground-breaking content. Trailblazers in Hollywood, Bailey and World of Wonder has long given a voice to outsiders and marginalized communities. Their revolutionary TV series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, received 12 Emmy Award nominations and six wins in 2018. In its 11th season, it continues to break ratings records and dominate the pop culture landscape. World of Wonder has produced projects in the last year for ABC, VH1, Fox, Netflix, Bravo, AMC Networks and more, as well as produced new original series for their owned-and-operated SVOD, WOW Presents Plus, available in every territory worldwide. Film festival veterans, World of Wonder’s Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts will premiere at Tribeca this month. In addition to their vast library of television and film projects currently airing and in development, World of Wonder’s robust direct-to-consumer offerings include the world’s largest bi-coastal drag convention RuPaul’s DragCon, a flagship storefront on Hollywood Blvd, and a subscription box. Moderating:
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| 3:15 PM |
Distributors and Commissioning: The New Greenlight (3:15pm - 4:15pm)Alberta When it comes to putting shows together, where is the money coming from? In today’s complex and fractured media landscape, distributors continue to play an increasingly important role, in some cases funding entire productions. Join us for an executive conversation about financing, the development process, the shifting rights game, speed to market and other distribution trends shaping the business. Moderating:
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Partner Presentation: Doing Business With Canada: Co-Pro 101 (3:15pm - 4:15pm)In Partnership With   New Brunswick Canada is one of the leading coproduction partners in the world and is well known for its Co-Production expertise. This session co-hosted by Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund is for delegates interested in coproduction who want to know how to get started. It will provide an overview of some of the tools, programs and resources available in Canada. Featuring:
Francesca AccinelliSenior Vice President, Program Strategy and Industry Development Telefilm Canada 
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Tuesday, June 11
| 11:00 AM |
SUMMIT SERIES: Paul Feig, director, producer, screenwriter and activist (11:00am - 12:00pm)Cascade “I’m never looking for strong female characters, because I don’t like that term,” Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”, “Ghostbusters: ATC”, The Office) told the U.K.’s Independent in 2018. “It feels two-dimensional. I like women who are strong and weak and funny and vulnerable and scared.” Feig was speaking to his most recent feature, “A Simple Favor,” but his views on the subject are ones that have shaped an entire career, from his cult hit Freaks and Geeks to his most recent indie venture, Powderkeg, which aims to amplify the careers of creatives from underrepresented backgrounds in entertainment. Feig is a singular personality in the entertainment business: a wildly successful producer-director beloved by cult fandoms and mainstream audiences alike, a powerful activist for diverse voices and a sartorial icon. Join Feig on BANFF’s historic main stage for an unforgettable conversation on a career that continues to awe and inspire. Moderating:
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| 12:00 PM |
Major Drama: TV in the Cultural Conversation (12:00pm - 1:00pm)In Partnership With  Alberta Sometimes it’s easy to wonder: where does TV drama end and real life begin? Headlines bleed onto screen and scripts seem to infiltrate real life. Somewhere in the middle is a vibrant cultural conversation about the role of scripted entertainment in society today. Can or does drama shape the cultural conversation, or merely reflect it? How do creators view their responsibility in wielding the influence of mass media? Does drama adeptly speak to wide audiences or does it reflect a “coastal” view of America/the West? Our crack panel of creators, execs and media experts explores what TV means in the big picture of it all. Moderating:
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Meghan HooperExecutive Vice President, Head of Original Movies and Limited Series, Entertainment and Youth Group A+E Networks The New Must-Have TV: Kids Live Action (12:00pm - 1:00pm)In Partnership With  New Brunswick As the number of globally available streamers grows, so too has awareness that a robust kids and family offering is a must-have to compete for household subscription dollars. What are the hot trends capturing the attention of commissioners and what is old news? What are the need-to-knows about working in the genre? What’s it like working with teen and tween talent?!? And most critically: what makes a kids live-action show the stuff Emmy voters and M&L lawyers drool over versus one that’s just good? Moderating:
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| 2:00 PM |
Showrunner Super Panel (2:00pm - 3:00pm)In Partnership With  Alberta Creators and showrunners in smaller markets around the world are all facing the same issue. Can you afford to work in your home market and contribute to its vibrancy when so much of the work and opportunity lie elsewhere? What lessons have high-profile expats learned? Where does our panel see the opportunities of the future as the content market continues to globalize? This discussion will feature some of the industry’s top talents, from shows including Community, Orange is the New Black, The Killing, Private Eyes, Whiskey Cavalier and Anne with an E, examining topics of creativity, geography and market. Moderating:
Amy CameronExecutive Producer Cameron Pictures (Mary Kills People, Little Dog) (Mary Kills People, Little Dog)
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Sheri ElwoodExecutive Producer/Writer/Director ELWOODISMS (Call Me Fitz, Lucifer, Whiskey Cavalier) 
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| 3:30 PM |
Why, eh? Clicking with YA audiences (3:30pm - 4:30pm)Alberta Today’s Young Adult fiction has evolved from its explosion into the spotlight over a decade ago, on screen, on the page and everywhere in between. This panel will explore the state of YA today and its robust ecosystem between books and screen with perspectives from publishers, agents, writers and producers. They will dissect the latest properties to cross mediums and reach mass audiences, how to spot IP with the potential to do so, the profile of YA audiences and the intersections that join them (i.e. between adults and late-teens), producing and writing content that can easily travel across mediums and borders, and how to find the right partners with expertise in the space. Moderating:
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| 4:30 PM |
Making or Breaking the Modern Coproduction (4:30pm - 5:30pm)Alberta Co-production has become the rule, not the exception in creating high-end series. This panel will examine four perspectives on co-production, offering insights on key benefits, the victories and the challenges. What lessons have they learned along the way? Moderating:
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Allison WallachHead, Global Unscripted Programming, Fox Entertainment Studios Jupiter Entertainment |
Wednesday, June 12
| 9:30 AM |
Wake Up with The Wit (9:30am - 10:30am)Cascade Grab your morning coffee and join us for an exclusive tour of the latest insights and analysis on global programming. Virginia Mouseler, CEO of The Wit takes the BANFF stage bringing her trademark in depth look into worldwide audiences and content trends. From what's big in Japan, to sleeper hits in the UK, to the hottest shows in Europe and around the world, this session will leave you inspired and armed with an in-depth understanding of the current international market and the info you need to advance your content development strategy or grow your business' global footprint.
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| 10:30 AM |
In Conversation With: Bill Hader and HBO EVP of Programming, Amy Gravitt (10:30am - 11:30am)In Partnership With  Cascade Join this year’s Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award honoree, Bill Hader and HBO's Amy Gravitt for a candid conversation on all things comedy. Master of impressions and iconic characters on Saturday Night Live, Hader is also a creator, director, writer, producer and star of HBO’s award-winning Barry. In 2016, Gravitt was named EVP of Programming at HBO, overseeing the development and production of original comedy series. Along with current shows that include Barry, VEEP, Insecure and Silicon Valley, she oversees upcoming comedy series The Righteous Gemstones and Avenue 5. Featuring:
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| 11:30 AM |
Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Program (11:30am - 1:00pm)In Partnership With    Cascade This curated panel is designed to provide insight, information and inspiration to the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative experience. With presentations from some of the television industry’s brightest minds, the program will take delegates through the nuts and bolts of building international partnerships, financing plans, and how to apply humanistic best practices to storytelling. Both emerging, and established, participants will walk away with useful tools to move their projects forward. Moderating:
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