Navigating the Complexities of Streaming: Banff World Media Festival Returns with a Focus on International Co-Productions and Financing

Banff World Media Festival, which is set to take place from June 9 to 12 in Banff, Alberta, is gearing up for its 45th edition with a lineup of keynote speakers that will help media professionals navigate the complexities of the rapidly growing streaming landscape. Among the speakers announced so far are Amy Reisenbach, CBS Entertainment president; Lisa Kramer, president of international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution; Asif Sadiq, chief global diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Cori Wellins, William Morris Endeavor partner.

In addition to these speakers, Gold House CEO Bing Chen and Sandra Dewey, COO of Media Res, will also be featured as headliners at the conference. The festival’s focus this year is on international financing and co-productions for global TV content. This comes at a time when Hollywood studios and streamers are navigating through a cost-cutting mode following dual writers and actors strikes.

Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group chairman and CEO, and Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment, have also been announced as keynote speakers for this year’s festival. The major Hollywood studios are continuing to roll out streaming platforms in key international markets while enhancing their creative pipelines. Banff Festival executive director Jenn Kuzmyk emphasized the importance of this year’s edition by stating that the industry is at an inflection point. The festival aims to provide a provocative lineup of speakers to assist media professionals in navigating the complexities of this rapidly growing landscape.