Pat Ferns takes exception to a reporter’s comment that there is nothing new at the 23rd annual Banff Television Festival.

While it’s true that by simply perusing the schedule of the June 9-14 festival, there are no completely new streams added this year, a closer look reveals a good many fresh twists.

Topping the list, says the president and CEO of the Banff Television Foundation, is the festival’s revitalized approach to its annual international spotlights, which this year feature a tribute to the U.K. and focus on Africa.

‘When you look at the African events and pull them all out, there is something like 10 different events. We’ve never done anything like that before,’ Ferns says, adding that this year’s approach is a template for future focuses.

‘We’ve tended to do one or two seminars, maybe scatter people [from the region] a bit through the schedule. But this year, what started as a sort of modest initiative has now grown.’

The Focus on Africa – inspired by Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s call to put Africa at the heart of the G8 Summit scheduled for late June in Kananaskis, AB – will include seminars, workshops and case studies dealing with the production challenges facing Africa. As well, work emerging from the continent will be featured in a Showcase of Excellence June 13.

Ferns expects between 60 and 70 filmmakers and broadcasters from more than 20 African countries to attend.

A byproduct of this heightened emphasis is a significant spike in the numbers of African films entered in competition this year. This, in turn, resulted in an unprecedented five African nominees for the Banff Rockie Awards.

Likewise, the Tribute to the U.K. has been ratcheted up a few notches this year with several sessions, including a Showcase of Excellence featuring legendary comedian John Cleese, and another with Brit comedy producers Peter Bennett-Jones, Paul Mayhew Archer, Jon Thoday, Beryl Vertue and Andrew Zein.

Tuesday, June 11, is going to be a big British day, beginning with an 8 a.m. ‘Breakfast with the U.K.’ and finishing with a World Cup match between England and Nigeria at 12:30 a.m.

Come together

Surprisingly, this year’s installment appears to have not been affected by the economic slowdown that has taken its toll on other international festivals and markets.

According to Ferns, Banff raised a record level of advertising and sponsorship revenues and he expects 1,800 attendees from 40-odd countries, a figure close to that of 2001.

Perhaps its success lies in the fact that Banff is notable for not putting all its eggs in any one basket.

Like few festivals of its kind, Banff is what Loren Mawhinney, VP Canadian production at Global Television and chair of the foundation’s board of directors, calls ‘an unusual amalgam of experiences.’

It is part festival with accompanying competition and awards ceremony, part conference, part market, and part essential social gathering attended by virtually every major TV producer in the country.

‘I think what we offer at Banff is a way you can choose your own festival,’ says Ferns. ‘You could come and just go to the conference; you could come and just screen programs; you could come and just schmooze; you could come and just play golf and go to the social events in the evening. Most people are actually working out their own combination of all of those things.’

Coming on the heels of the L.A. screenings in May, for example, most conventional broadcasters won’t approach Banff as they might a pure market like MIP, says Mawhinney.

‘For the conventional broadcasters, it’s not a market in terms of ‘I’ll take six dozen of those and a half dozen of those.’ It’s mainly, ‘Oh, this is that person I speak to.’ It’s about cementing relationships.’

Still, there remain plenty of business opportunities. For example, Mawhinney sees Banff as an excellent place to pick up documentaries, because unlike dramas, which are produced on an annual schedule, docs are produced year round.

Banff is also regarded as an excellent venue for setting up deals on new projects as well as building creative and financing partnerships from the ground up.

At the same time, says Ferns, a major part of the festival’s strength lies in what it offers independent broadcasters and specialties, sectors of the industry that grew up alongside the festival.

‘There’s a huge amount of business that gets transacted. A lot of broadcasters and specialty services schedule their development process around what they’re going to hear at Banff,’ he says.

Christine Shipton, senior director of programming and development at the W Network and a member of the Banff Television Foundation’s board, agrees. She says the essence of Banff lies in the ‘exchange of ideas and debate.’

To that end, Shipton strongly suggests making time to sit in on at least half the scheduled sessions.

‘That is where your brain starts to work,’ she says.

‘I have never come back from Banff without ideas. And whether those are ideas from having heard all the pitches from producers from across the country or ideas from having watched the panels, listened to the debates, listened to the different discussions and then had my own, I always come away from Banff with ideas.’

For those who manage to get a seat, the Master Classes are one of the best arenas for such stimulation. Featuring Canadian and international industry luminaries in intimate sessions, this year’s Master Classes will cover writing, directing, producing, interactive and children’s programming.

Banff also offers independent producers a unique opportunity to book a breakfast or lunch with broadcast executives, commissioning editors, development heads and funders from around the world in the ‘Take a Decision-Maker to Breakfast or Lunch’ stream.

Pitch down the middle

But the piece de resistance this year, as in others, is the pitching.

This year’s edition will feature nearly 40 organized individual pitches in addition to the dozens of meetings in rooms, corridors and bars. Indeed, it is not overstating the case to say that public pitching has become a signature feature of Banff.

‘To listen to not only the ideas being pitched but the reactions from the buyers is invaluable for producers,’ says Shipton.

Topping the list is the International Market Simulations (drama and children’s), pioneered by Ferns 18 years ago and now a staple of markets and festivals the world over.

Officially there will be eight pitches made in the Market Simulations, collected from 100 entries. Additionally, the festival will feature 16 New Players pitches collected from 160 entries; six pitches in the CTV Canadian Documart culled from 140; three ‘cyberpitches’ from 30; four more during the ‘Two in a Room’ sessions; plus a handful of pitches for the HDTV prize.

Following on the African theme, the International Market Simulations will include a pitch in the drama and entertainment category by Ntandazo Gcinga of Cape Town, South Africa for Double 6ix. In the New Players Pitch, Cathrine Musola Kaseketi of Lusaka, Zambia is entered for the feature Crossing The Bridge, while Sonwabile Samuel Mfecane of Umtata, Eastern Cape, South Africa will pitch an animated fantasy, Sjambok.

Still, Canucks take centre stage with all six Documart sessions, six of the eight Market Simulations and 12 of 16 New Players pitches entered by Canadians.

Now in its second year, the CTV Canadian Documart: The World’s Richest Pitch will award $50,000 to the winning pitch, with second and third place entrants taking home $30,000 and $20,000, respectively.

‘One of the things that characterizes Banff is that we’ve created opportunity for people to break in. The fact that it is now married to substantial prizing is also important,’ says Ferns.

Equally important this year is the newly expanded Showcase of Excellence, which has grown from its original Monday slot to run in four installments. Monday will feature a salute to Cleese along with the best of Canadian comedy. Tuesday will pay tribute to British comedy. Wednesday will showcase Teletubbies creator Anne Wood and international comedy from the Rose d’Or. Thursday’s session, meanwhile, will feature the best of Banff and the best of Africa.

More broadcasting

One clear sign of the relevance of the festival is the unprecedented level of related programming it will spawn.

Aside from the annual CBC Banff Rockie Awards telecast, scheduled to air in August, the festival will also source a number of TV specials, including features on Africa, Canadian comedy, Cleese and U.K. comedy, plus one on public broadcasting involving U.S.-based broadcast journalist Robert McNeil and CBC documentary head Mark Starowicz.

There will also be a 13-part series based on the Master Classes airing on Bravo!.

Canadian celebrities to look out for at this year’s festival include Ken Finkleman, Mary Walsh, David Steinberg, David Suzuki, Steve Smith and national news anchors Peter Mansbridge, Lloyd Robertson, and Kevin Newman.