BANFF – London, Ont.-born writer/director Paul Haggis will be at the Banff World Television Festival 2006 this year to accept the NBC Universal Canada Award of Distinction and to speak in the popular "In Conversation With…" series.
The 2006 Academy Award winner for Crash joins an already-stellar lineup of participants that includes Ali LeRoi (Everybody Hates Chris), Richard J. Lewis (CSI), Scott Peters (The 4400), David Shore (House), Howard Davine (Touchstone Television), Steven Johnson (Everything Bad is Good for You) and Dan Marks (BT).
Over 150 international commissioning editors are expected at BANFF 2006. Newly confirmed are Nick Fraser (BBC), Joey Plagar (Lifetime Television), Jo Clinton-Davis (UKTV), Elaine Bedell (BBC), Kevin Kay (Spike TV) and Donna Friedman-Meir (National Geographic TV & Film).
Recently confirmed panels at Banff include:
* New Frontiers: Product Placement and Branded Entertainment. As producers and broadcasters seek ways to finance production, product placement has become part of the producer’s tool kit. Panelists (including Sunni Boot, Howard Owens, and Jeff Greenfield) will explore the rise in Branded Entertainment and Advertainment in the ever-evolving business that is television.
* Roundtable Discussion: Gateway to Asia. As one of the fastest growing media markets in the world, Asia is a region where opportunities abound for broadcasters, creators and producers of television and digital content. Join BANFF and nextMEDIA for this roundtable that will include representatives from Japan, Singapore, South Korea and China and will feature broadcasters and producers who have successfully created business and co-production opportunities in Asia.
