TORONTO – A group of 14 producers, writers, and directors from across Canada have been chosen to attend this year’s Banff World Media Festival this June as recipients of Bell Media’s National Fellowship program.
As part of the $1.8 Million Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative, the Bell Media National Fellowship program is intended to encourage professional development in the television industry by enabling emerging creative talent to attend Banff and benefit from the vast programming, mentorship, and pitching opportunities that the annual event has to offer.
In addition, Banff and Bell Media announced today that a previous fellow will be recognized for their achievement since first attending the festival as the recipient of the first-ever Bell Media Fellow Award of Distinction. That award will be presented at the Rockie Awards Lunch on June 10.
The recipients of the 2013 Bell Media National Fellowship are:
- Aubrey Arnason, producer and TV host, Vancouver, BC
- Jason Butler, filmmaker and producer, Toronto, ON
- Tobi Elliot, producer, Gabriola Island, BC
- Tony Elliot, screenwriter, Toronto, ON
- Tess Hamilton, producer, Toronto, ON
- Stacy James-Fry, sales, sponsorship and marketing professional, Calgary, AB
- Margaret Lester, writer, Mississauga, ON
- Faye Li, director and writer, Toronto, ON
- Jocelyn Mercer, producer, Toronto, ON
- Jennifer Sharpe, writer, director and producer, Toronto, ON
- Pat Smith, writer and producer, Toronto, ON
- Mike Sorrenti, president of GamePill, Aurora, ON
- Damon Surzyshyn, camera editor, Winnipeg, MB
- Priscilla White, writer, Toronto, ON
Bell Media Fellowship recipients receive a full registration for Banff 2013, round-trip travel, and must bring a suitable-for-broadcast project to the festival with specific goals in mind. All projects must be Canadian and cover a number of genres including drama, documentary, children’s, comedy/entertainment, lifestyle or reality. The fellows are also feted at an exclusive reception and networking opportunity sponsored by Bell Media.
