The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF), in partnership with the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) and the Canada Media Fund (CMF), is expanding this year’s Indigenous Screen Summit (ISS) Pitch Forum.

BANFF opened up applications for the 2023 program on Tuesday (Feb. 14), noting it will now include pitches in the genres of documentary and unscripted, in addition to scripted drama and comedy.

Now in its second year, the pitch forum is presented by the CMF and will see 15 Indigenous producers/creators unveil their projects to a panel of industry buyers and financiers in front of an audience of industry delegates. The event will unfold on the first day of BANFF, which runs from June 11 to 14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alta.

Applicants for the program are adjudicated by an expert jury. Interested participants must apply by Feb. 28.

Applicants are also drawn from the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative and the CBC-APTN Early Stage Scripted Development Program for Indigenous Creators in association with the ISO.

The ISS Pitch Forum participants will receive a full pass to BANFF, a travel stipend, industry mentorships and customized networking opportunities. More information is on the ISS website.

Last year’s BANFF marked the first in-person ISS, which “seeks to amplify the work of Indigenous creators and producers and their film/TV/web series projects across the Canadian global marketplace,” said the release. The ISS also included both receptions and curated panel discussions.

Nicole Robertson (pictured) will return as an ambassador for the program to provide guidance on the media strategy and the creation of a new ISS advisory board along with Rachel CrowSpreadingWings, who has joined the event production team.

The ISO and CMF are the founding partners of the ISS, which also has the support of CBC.

“Our team at BANFF is honoured to provide a platform to support the recognition of great Indigenous storytellers, and shine a light on their important work in the screen industries, and we are excited to grow the program in partnership with the ISO and CMF,” Jenn Kuzmyk, executive director of BANFF and VP and publisher of Playback, said in a statement.

ISO CEO Kerry Swanson added that the pitch forum is a “unique” opportunity to present Indigenous stories to a vast audience of industry stakeholders.

CMF president and CEO Valerie Creighton said the ISS “will go a long way towards ensuring that Indigenous storytellers can continue to inspire and connect communities through television and film.”

Last week BANFF announced the first keynote speaker for this year’s festival: George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS, and CCO, news and sports, for Paramount+.

Photo: Kristian Bogner for the Banff World Media Festival