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Sunday, June 14
| 10:00 AM |
¡Hola España! - Country of Honour Breakfast Panel (10:00am - 11:00am)Cascade With nine of the ten most-watched series in Europe coming from Spain, the country has become one of the most important markets for anyone serious about international production, distribution, and co-financing. From the worldwide phenomenon Berlin to the critically acclaimed La mesías, Spanish creators, a major source of global hits, are reshaping the future of global television. Spain is the fourth-largest production hub in Europe and the EU leader in streaming investment. Delegates will gain essential insight over coffee and continental breakfast into where the opportunities are headed next: incentive structures, investment priorities, partnership models, talent pipelines, and what Spanish companies are actively seeking from global collaborators right now. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
   
Cecilia Lera AstolfiExecutive, International Sales & External Relations RTVE Radio Television Espanola 
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| 11:30 AM |
The Questions Media Keeps Avoiding (11:30am - 12:15pm)Cascade Everyone agrees the industry is changing. Almost nobody agrees on what comes next. The polite version of that conversation is everywhere. This session is interested in the other version. In this provocative opening session, Adam Cunningham, CEO of Allied Global Marketing, takes on the questions the business too often avoids: from AI, advertising and audience fragmentation to cultural relevance, risk, collapsing assumptions and the growing disconnect between industry narratives and commercial reality. This is designed to challenge easy consensus, provoke debate and surface the questions executives are asking behind closed doors, but rarely on stage. This will not be a standard conference session or a polished talking-points exercise. It will be a sharp and honest opening conversation about where the industry is actually heading, what it is still pretending not to know, and what everyone should be talking about during the week ahead. Featuring:
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| 1:00 PM |
Banff World Media Festival Address (1:00pm - 1:30pm)Van Horne Join us for the Banff World Media Address, featuring special guests and important announcements. Featuring:
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| 1:30 PM |
Main Character Energy: Canadian Actors MADE for the Global Stage (1:30pm - 2:15pm)Van Horne Is it us, or is Canada really having a moment? Canadian actors are in the international spotlight perhaps like never before - from buzzy indies and prestige TV to massive global franchises and breakout streaming hits. Why now, and what’s it going to take to sustain and grow our star system at home - and around the world? To kick off BANFF 2026, George Stroumboulopoulos hosts a candid conversation with some of Canada’s hottest actors about the pressure, the hustle, the absurdity and the opportunity in building a career. What’s changing in the industry - and what still desperately needs to as Canadian entertainment takes its rightful place on the world’s stage? Why are Canadian actors suddenly everywhere? What does the industry still get wrong? And why does Canada feel culturally louder right now than it has in decades? This isn’t a victory lap. It’s a conversation about ambition, resilience, identity, and what happens next when a country known for playing it safe stops asking for permission. Sponsored by:   Moderating:
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| 2:30 PM |
In Conversation With Hon. Marc Miller and Valerie Creighton, CMF/FMC (2:30pm - 3:00pm)Van Horne Sponsored by:  Featuring:
Marc MillerMinister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages Government of Canada |
Monday, June 15
| 9:00 AM |
Keynote Address: Vicky Eatrides, CRTC (9:00am - 9:15am)Cascade Featuring:
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| 9:30 AM |
Canadian Producers: The Work Of Now (9:30am - 10:15am)Cascade Join these producers for an existential conversation about the state of the Canadian industry, exploring the challenges they face, the strategies they're using to move projects forward, and the opportunities they see emerging in the current regulatory and market landscape. This discussion will focus on the concerns, obstacles and successes Canadian producers are experiencing right now. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
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Making It Click: Brand-Funded Content (9:30am - 10:15am)Ivor Petrak This panel will unpack the evolving relationship between creativity, technology, and accountability in brand storytelling. What happens when the mandate isn’t just to tell great stories — but to move product, protect shareholder value, keep it entertaining, and drive cultural relevance? The conversation explores how brand-funded entertainment can serve both art and enterprise without compromise. And when NOT to ‘go there. Featuring:
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| 10:30 AM |
Keynote: Jinny Howe, Netflix (10:30am - 11:00am)Cascade Sponsored by:  Featuring:
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| 11:30 AM |
The Showrunner Superpanel (11:30am - 12:30pm)Cascade It’s more important than ever for a show to break through the noise and forge a real connection with audiences. What does it take to create series that don’t just get watched, but become must-see, conversation-driving “appointment television”? Join this award winning acclaimed group of showrunners, Nick Antosca (Cape Fear, The Act, Murdaugh: A Death In the Family), R. Scott Gemmill (The Pitt, NCIS, JAG, ER), Amy B. Harris (Every Year After, The Wilds, Carrie Diaries), Lee Sung Jin (BEEF), Glenn Kessler (Memory of A Killer, Damages, Bloodline), Oren Uziel (Spider-Noir, The Lost City, 22 Jump Street) and Aaron Zelman (Memory of A Killer, Damages, Last Thing He Told Her), for a candid conversation about the creative instincts and strategic decisions behind today’s most talked-about shows. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
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| 1:00 PM |
In Conversation With: Doug Smith & Sally Catto, CBC (1:00pm - 1:30pm)Cascade Alongside Sally Catto, join us for Doug Smith’s first public discussion of the new direction for CBC programming. In this conversation Smith and Catto will lay out their vision and priorities for the national broadcaster while directly challenging long-held assumptions about what public media should be, embracing a direction that “there are no rules.” They will discuss the content landscape and the necessary risks required to reshape original programming. Featuring:
In Conversation with Henry Winkler - introduced by A+E’s Sharon Scott (1:00pm - 1:45pm)Ivor Petrak Join us for an intimate session with Emmy award-winning actor and Television Academy Hall of Fame inductee, Henry Winkler, host of Hazardous History. Winkler will discuss his remarkable career and the evolution of TV formats - and maybe offer a fly fishing tip or two. :) Featuring an insightful introduction by A+E’s President of Factual Studios, Sharon Scott exploring the forces shaping nonfiction television and how the studio is building hit content designed to travel across platforms and around the world. Sponsored by: Featuring:
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| 2:00 PM |
Optimists Only: Building Content Businesses in a “Shrinking” Market (2:00pm - 2:45pm)Cascade Consolidation headlines suggest fewer buyers, fewer slots, and a tougher path to growth. So why are some companies still optimistic about the future? This conversation brings together operators who are actively building and backing content businesses across multiple fronts. Rather than retreating in the face of industry contraction, they’re rethinking what a scaled content business looks like in 2026 and beyond. Expect a candid discussion on where capital is really flowing, how business models are evolving, and where they are placing bets, including YouTube, vertical video, creator representation, as well as "traditional" high quality scripted and unscripted film and television. Where are the real opportunities right now? What’s overhyped? And what does a “successful” content company even look like today? Featuring:
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| 3:00 PM |
The Future of Unscripted: Global, Social, Scalable (3:00pm - 3:45pm)Cascade Competition formats are being reimagined in an industry that's changing the definition of success. From IP-driven revivals and hybrid formats to shows built for social shareability, the next wave of unscripted hits is being built with global audiences in mind. This panel brings together top unscripted executives to share how formats are designed to travel and what viewers are looking for in great entertainment. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
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| 3:15 PM |
Hawco Productions On Their Project-First Approach (3:15pm - 4:00pm)Ivor Petrak How do you turn budget constraints into creative advantages instead of roadblocks? What makes a pitch stand out in today’s crowded film and TV landscape? Join the team from Hawco Productions as they dive into their business and development strategy, and their mission to bring “YES” to everything creative. Founded by actor, writer and producer Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, In Cold Light), the company blends originality with a strategic approach to production — but how does that translate into a global success like Saint-Pierre? Don’t miss your chance to walk away with insights that could change how you approach your next project. **This is a partner presentation. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
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| 4:00 PM |
View From The Top (4:00pm - 4:45pm)Cascade The rules of the entertainment business are being rewritten in real time. As global streamers recalibrate, advertising models evolve, AI accelerates disruption, and creators become media companies unto themselves, the industry is entering a new phase defined by partnerships, profitability, and platform power. In this C-Suite executive conversation, some of the industry’s most influential leaders unpack where the business is headed next - and who is best positioned to thrive. From premium storytelling and franchise strategy to advertising innovation, sports, international expansion, and the future of distribution, this session offers a rare inside look at how top decision-makers are navigating one of the most consequential shifts in media history. Featuring:
Brett PaulPresident, Warner Bros. Television Group and Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Networks Warner Bros. Discovery Moderating:
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Tuesday, June 16
| 9:00 AM |
The International Commissioners (9:00am - 9:45am)Cascade As international partnerships become crucial to developing a show, knowing what it takes to make fruitful screen partnerships that travel across the globe is the name of the game. Join these leading commissioners to hear what they are looking for and how cross-border partnerships are being structured. This conversation provides a brass-tacks read on who’s buying and where the strongest opportunities exist for producers seeking international collaboration. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
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| 9:45 AM |
Keynote: Jesse Armstrong (9:45am - 10:45am)Ivor Petrak Join award-winning creator, writer and director Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show, Succession, Mountainhead) for a keynote discussion. Jesse Armstrong will be interviewed by Tom Power as a special taping of Q with Tom Power, to be broadcast on CBC at a later date. Featuring:
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| 11:30 AM |
In Conversation With: Georgie Holt, FlightStory (11:30am - 12:15pm)Ivor Petrak What if the biggest mistake in media right now... is waiting for permission? While much of the entertainment industry is still chasing commissions, FlightStory is building something else entirely: an audience-first machine that doesn’t ask what platforms want... it tests what audiences can't ignore. FlightStory’s Diary of a CEO, led by superstar Steven Bartlett, is now the world’s #2 podcast with nearly 16 million subscribers on YouTube and 80 million monthly views and listens – economics that rival legacy media. What Bartlett, Holt and their team have built is a system. Not just for content, but for predicting culture. And according to Holt, that system points toward a very different future. One where the next billion-dollar media company is... built around a single human. In this conversation, Holt pulls back the curtain on how FlightStory identifies what matters before it trends, turns creators into scalable franchises, and uses the internet not as a distribution channel, but as a live testing ground. This isn’t about making content. It’s about engineering demand. Inside the session:
Because what looks like storytelling… is actually data. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Featuring:
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| 12:00 PM |
Premium Spain: High-End Content for Global Audiences (12:00pm - 12:45pm)Cascade For producers, commissioners, streamers, creators, and executives looking to build meaningful relationships with Spain’s top studios and broadcasters, this is essential BANFF intel. Featuring the executives and creative leaders behind worldwide phenomenon Money Heist (Atresmedia), the iconic The Department of Time (Onza), and acclaimed originals from public broadcaster RTVE and pay-TV giant Movistar Plus+, this session delivers direct access to the companies redefining the international television landscape. Sponsored by: Featuring:
Cecilia Lera AstolfiExecutive, International Sales & External Relations RTVE Radio Television Espanola |
| 12:30 PM |
YouTube: The Speed of Culture and Storytelling (12:30pm - 1:00pm)Ivor Petrak The days of the top-down, carefully curated celebrity rollout or the predictable television premieres are over - so how do you tell a story that actually sticks? Join Nicole Bell (Head of YouTube Canada) and Lainey Lui (Senior Correspondent, Etalk and Founder, LaineyGossip.com) as they discuss the changing rules of pop culture and storytelling. They will explore how modern fame is built, why niche audiences have replaced the mainstream, and how creators and stories cut through the noise to build lasting cultural resonance. Featuring:
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| 1:00 PM |
Producing with Netflix (1:00pm - 1:30pm)Cascade This conversation will take a deeper look into the strategies and decision making behind physical production at Netflix. Participants will share best practices on how producers can work with Netflix across local and inbound productions in Canada. Featuring:
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| 1:30 PM |
The Director’s Cut: AI, Automation, and the Value of Human Creativity (1:30pm - 2:15pm)Ivor Petrak Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the creative process, raising a central question: under what conditions should it be used? In this session, the Directors Guild of Canada introduces two initiatives: the Filmmakers Manifesto on the Value of Human Creativity and the Low-Carbon GenAI Toolkit, developed with support from Telefilm Canada, which measures generative AI’s carbon footprint. Together, they argue that guilds do not simply respond to technological change, they help define it. Through discussion with directors, funders, and producers, this session explores what responsible AI adoption looks like in practice. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
Sebastien PigeonVice President, Legal Services, Information Technologies and Corporate Secretary Telefilm 
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| 2:00 PM |
The Decision Makers (2:00pm - 2:45pm)Cascade Sitting at the crossroads of content, distribution, and audience strategy - these executives are deciding what gets made, where it lives, and how it reaches viewers around the world. Join us for an honest conversation about where commissioning, licensing and distribution strategies are… and where they’re going. Featuring:
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| 3:00 PM |
Becoming Creator-Savvy: Making the Affordable Hit (3:00pm - 3:45pm)Ivor Petrak As budgets shrink and episode orders tighten, the rules of storytelling, packaging, and distribution are being rewritten. For established creators, it’s a moment to adapt; for emerging voices — especially those from platforms like YouTube — it’s a chance to break through with a platform-aware approach from the start. What can traditional TV learn from digital-native creators? How are projects being built to move across platforms? And how is Canada’s low-cost, resourceful model shaping a more agile, globally relevant industry? This panel explores how a creator-savvy mindset — grounded in agility, ownership, and platform awareness — can help content not just get made, but get seen and stand out. **This is a partner presentation. Sponsored by:  Featuring:
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Wednesday, June 17
| 9:30 AM |
The Power Of Fandom (9:30am - 10:15am)Cascade How do you know if a property will translate into longform content? Just as important, how do you nurture the flywheel and keep the love (and revenue) flowing between seasons? These visionaries have harnessed fan fervor to build massive global juggernauts from Heated Rivalry and Culpa Mía to reality TV super-hits, including The Real Housewives franchise. Our panelists will share how they cultivate deeply engaged fans to extend stories beyond the screen through experiences, building and monetizing IP to drive loyalty, engagement and reach. This is your insider blueprint for finding your next mega fandom-fuelled hit. Featuring:
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| 10:30 AM |
Scaling Stories: Inside Prime Video's Originals Playbook (10:30am - 11:15am)Cascade Prime Video has built serious buzz around its local and YA slate thanks to the viral popularity of The Summer I Turned Pretty and its brand-new smash hit series Off Campus. Now the global entertainment powerhouse is doubling down on Canadian originals and homegrown storytelling with Every Year After—adapted from best-selling Canadian author Carley Fortune's debut novel Every Summer After. This session will feature discussion from Prime Video executives on the streamer’s evolving approach to local production and international audience growth, alongside Every Year After author and showrunner sharing the creative vision behind bringing a beloved Canadian novel to audiences worldwide. Featuring:
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| 11:15 AM |
Bubbles & Bites Closing Reception (11:15am - 12:00pm)Cascade Wrap up your week in the Rockies with a toast and final gathering of friends, collaborators and new connections. Join us for our famous Bubbles & Bites reception - a celebratory send-off featuring mimosas, gourmet treats, great tunes, and of course, 'delicious cheese sandwiches,' (IYKYK). |
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