BANFF – Now celebrating its 40th year, the Banff World Media Festival (BWMF) has grown to become one of the world’s premier conferences and marketplace for leading edge content producers, media executives, and digital entrepreneurs.
More than 1,500 delegates and attendees from more than 20 countries gather in the jaw dropping movie-set vistas of Banff, Alberta to continue the tradition of playing an integral role developing Canada’s (and the world’s) screen industries… all the while contributing to exports and growing associated sectors such as music and independent production.
Billions of dollars worth of business deals have been started and/or closed here in over the years and this year the coveted Rockie Awards saw participation from more than 40 countries.
As well, festival planners scheduled a novel Summit Series of keynotes, four in total, to mark each of the festival’s four decades, and introduced the first Banff Debate to examine the intersection of media, creativity and technology.
Noteworthy as well was the presence of the NetFlix Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative participants. Together with the assistance of our CMF, SODEC, and Canada’s Indigenous Screen Office, 100 francophone, women and Indigenous producers and creators took full advantage of the networking, mentoring and panels.
Randy Lennox, chair of the festival foundation Board and president of Bell Media, formally opened the BWMF 2019, noting that “40 is a good age… you’re established, but still useful”.
Looking back at 1979, he noted that the Montreal Canadiens won their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup that year (I remember the series wining goal by Jacques Lemaire against the Rangers), and that the cellphone had just been invented in Japan.
Perhaps to set the stage, Lennox predicted that, by 2026, 46 ubiquitous, global media brands will be active in Canada… 30 of which aren’t here yet but are coming.
The usual number of funding agency, corporate sponsor heads, politicians and a nifty rapping poet also brought greetings, antics, and accolades… even there was even a pleasant Youtube feed from PM Justin Trudeau.
On matters of substance however, this belonged to a timely and deserving announcement by federal Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Andy Fillmore MP, regarding a nearly $2 million investment in the BWMF Foundation to deliver the Banff Accelerator for Women in the Media Business.
All in all it as a nice Happy Birthday kick-off – hopefully tipping our collectible hats to continued success and another 40 more!
Photo by Kristian Bogner.
