Vancouver: B.C.’s Whistler ski resort will host the first annual Whistler International Film and Television Festival Nov. 16-19, 2000.

The brainchild of executive director Susan Dosot and artistic director Leagh Gabriel, the Whistler festival will showcase the premieres and celebrities of other popular festivals but will also feature a trade show emphasizing convergence technology and a New Media Conference.

‘From indie movies to Hollywood blockbusters, from animation to music videos, the virtual and the real are merging and converging,’ say the organizers in a release.

According to a festival representative, the Whistler event will be more industry-oriented than the Vancouver International Film Festival and will include television production in its programming mix.

And in keeping with the theme of convergence, the Whistler festival will be fully online, with the Internet providing the backdrop for festival promotions and streamed video of events.

With 17 months to go, however, organizers are still lining up sponsors and are not yet involved in programming the festival.