This year’s edition of the CFTPA’s Prime Time in Ottawa, Feb. 5-7, features a wide range of high-profile guest speakers and panelists, including movie producer Ivan Reitman, CRTC chair Charles Dalfen, CCTA president and CEO Janet Yale, Globe and Mail columnist Jeffery Simpson, Canada’s Consul General in Los Angeles Colin Robertson and Telefilm Canada executive director Richard Stursberg.

Reitman will discuss his views on the responsibility of producers to get box office. Maurizio Bevilacua, Secretary of State for International Financial Institutions, is speaking at the Intern Reception, while Dalfen will address strategic issues for Canadian drama at the Friday morning breakfast.

Trina McQueen is the moderator of a panel called ‘Changing the Future of Homegrown Drama’ with a promising lineup of producers and broadcasters, including Laszlo Barna, Rene Bourdages, Paul Gratton, Wayne Grigsby, Loren Mawhinney, Bill Mustos and Maureen Parker of the Writers Guild of Canada.

Pat Ferns, Banff Television Festival CEO, is moderator for the panel disussion ‘Does Public Broadcasting have a Future?’ featuring Arnie Gelbart, Julia Keatley, Slawko Kylmkiw and Lorraine Richard, while the ‘State of the Industry Address’ features Ferns and National Film Board chair Jacques Bensimon and the presentation of Profile 2003, the CFTPA’s annual statistical analysis of the production industry.

The Pundits panel will look at ‘Corporate Strategies in Tough Times.’ National Post columnist Paul Wells is moderating with a speaker lineup that includes John Cassaday, Kevin DeWalt, Roma Khana, Ira Levy, Richard Stursberg and Phyllis Yaffe.

At the Thursday breakfast, Simpson is expected to address current developments in Ottawa, priorities and the importance of cultural policy.

Prime Time’s Breakout sessions will look at ‘Coproducing English Productions with France,’ ‘International Market Trends & Trade Policy’ and ‘Financing Cancon in Tough Times.’