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You are not currently viewing the most recent Banff World Media Festival. Go to Banff World Media Festival 2024.


  • Universal Studio Group presidents to outline their vision at BANFF

    Hear directly from the presidents of Universal Television, Universal International Studios & UCP and Universal Television Alternative Studio, as they outline their vision for 2024 and beyond, and share intel on how best to do business with them.

    Spotlight: Universal Studio Group

    Universal Studio Group is the umbrella brand that houses NBCUniversal's four powerhouse television studios. Collectively, the four premium studio brands produce over 100 projects across 27 platforms, including Law & Order, Hacks, Girls5eva, Chucky, Dr. Death, That's My Jam, Hollywood Game Night, Everyone Else Burns and We Are Lady Parts.

    About BANFF Spotlights

    BANFF Spotlights are high-profile sessions featuring the mandates and strategies of top executives from leading global entertainment companies and organizations.

  • First Summit Series keynote announced

    Rob Wade, CEO of FOX Entertainment, is confirmed to join the Festival's Summit Series, a premium keynote speaker lineup featuring the boldest voices and the world's most influential media leaders. This keynote will feature FOX Entertainment's global growth story and the strategies that are driving their content business.

    Keynote: Rob Wade

    "Being part of BANFF's 45th milestone year is quite an honor," said Wade. "This annual must-attend festival is like no other, uniting our industry in celebration of creativity and forward-thinking innovation."

    "Rob is a seasoned producer, savvy creative executive, and now CEO of FOX Entertainment, with exactly the kind of forward thinking and focus on creative and business excellence that defines BANFF." said Kevin Beggs, Chair of the Board of Directors, BANFF and Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Lionsgate Television Group.

    Rob Wade is responsible for FOX Entertainment's growing portfolio of businesses, including FOX Network; in-house unscripted studio FOX Alternative Entertainment (FAE); scripted content creator FOX Entertainment Studios (FES); Studio Ramsay Global in partnership with Gordon Ramsay; Emmy Award winning animation house Bento Box Entertainment; entertainment platform TMZ; independent production studio MarVista Entertainment; and worldwide content sales and distribution unit FOX Entertainment Global (FEG).

    Under Wade's leadership, FOX continues to deliver strong results, ranking as the #1 network in key demos for the 2022-23 full broadcast season and delivering strong programming for the current 2023-24 season.

    About BANFF Summit Series

    The BANFF Summit Series is a curated, future-focused lineup of keynote sessions that was launched in 2019 in honour of the festival's four-decade legacy. Past Summit Series speakers include Jeffrey Katzenberg, Paula Kerger, Pearlena Igbokwe, Bela Bajaria, Ted Sarandos, and Maverick Carter to name a few.

  • BANFF announces the 3rd edition of the Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum

    ISS 2024

    Rogers joins as Presenting Partner with Founding Partners Indigenous Screen Office and Canada Media Fund

    Applications open today: iss.banffmediafestival.com

    TORONTO (Tkaronto), February 26, 2024 - The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) announces the return of the Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum (ISS), and welcomes Rogers Communications as a new multi-year presenting partner. The company joins founding partners, the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) and the Canada Media Fund (CMF). Applications open today for the third edition of the ISS Pitch Forum, which will take place on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, kicking off the 45th edition of the Banff World Media Festival.

    "ISO is pleased to announce our continued support of the ISS Pitch Forum. We are committed to empowering Indigenous storytellers to present their stories at this important global market and to develop meaningful connections within the industry. We are so happy to welcome Rogers Communications to the circle as a presenting partner of the ISS Pitch Forum." Kerry Swanson, CEO of ISO.

    "The ISS Pitch Forum is an essential platform for showcasing Indigenous storytellers, ensuring they get the recognition that is long overdue and that their stories stand out within the broader Canadian media landscape. The Pitch Forum has flourished over the last two years thanks to our partnership with the ISO, and we are pleased to welcome Rogers as a presenting partner this year. Their involvement highlights the necessary and growing support for Indigenous projects at home and globally," said Valerie Creighton, President & CEO of the Canada Media Fund.

    "We are really excited to expand our partnership with the Banff World Media Festival by supporting the Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum," said Robin Mirsky, Director, Rogers Group of Funds. "We are committed to providing opportunities for Indigenous creators to bring their ideas to the national stage by supporting the ISS in their mission to increase access to the industry and remove barriers to funding."

    "We are delighted to welcome Rogers as a new partner alongside our founding partners, the ISO and the CMF in providing a platform to support Indigenous storytellers. The ISS has already contributed to the development and distribution of Indigenous projects presented during the Pitch Forum. We are delighted that with the help of our partners, we can continue to grow the ISS to offer Indigenous creators access to top industry professionals, the ability to forge industry partnerships, and to develop and garner strategic partnerships to further their projects. We also welcome back our ISS Advisory Board and ISS Producer Rachel CrowSpreadingWings to our event production team," said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director of the Banff World Media Festival.

    About the ISS Pitch Forum

    Fifteen (15), Indigenous producers/creators present their projects in a series of mainstage pitch sessions, to a panel of leading industry buyers, and to an audience of industry delegates. Running adjunct to the renowned Banff World Media Festival (BANFF), one of the world's most important gatherings of entertainment industry executives, the ISS seeks to amplify the work of Indigenous creators and producers and their film/TV/web series projects across the Canadian global marketplace.

    The half-day event includes pitches in the genres of Documentary/Unscripted, Scripted Drama, and Scripted Comedy. Pitch applicants are adjudicated by an expert jury and drawn from the 'Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative' (a program that brings up to 100 racialized producers to the festival each year), and the 'CBC-APTN Early Stage Scripted Development Program for Indigenous Creators in association with the ISO', as well as an open call for applications.

    Interested candidates are invited to apply by March 7, 2024 at 3 PM ET. Please visit the ISS website for eligibility and submission guidelines.

    The ISS Pitch Forum participants will receive a full pass to the Banff World Media Festival, a travel stipend, industry mentorships, and customized networking opportunities with top industry professionals. ISS participants will have access to the full complement of structured and unstructured networking, receptions, and curated sessions at the festival. All delegates of BANFF 2024 will have access to the Indigenous Screen Summit and Pitch Forum. There will be no additional cost to attend.

  • The Banff World Media Festival welcomes three top executives to its Board of Directors

    Board of Directors 2024

    Long-standing member Sandra Dewey stepping down

    The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce the addition of three media leaders to its Foundation's Board of Directors including Lisa Kramer, President, International TV Licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution; Bing Chen, Executive Chairman, Founder AU Holdings, CEO & Co-Founder, Gold House and General Partner, Co-Founder Aum Group; and Patrick Vien, Group Managing Director, International, A+E Networks; while long-standing member and former WarnerMedia's President of Business Operations and Productions for HBO Max, TNT, TBS and truTV, Sandra Dewey is retiring from her position on the board.

    "We are excited to welcome such a distinguished group of new board members as Banff continues to build on its reputation as the preeminent creative television festival in North America," said Kevin Beggs, Chair of the Board of Directors, BANFF and Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Lionsgate Television Group. "We also wish to thank the amazing Sandra Dewey for many years of dedicated service to the festival."

    See all members of the Banff Television Festival Foundation's Board of Directors here.

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