The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has added BAFTA Award-winning actor, producer, writer and director Sharon Horgan as a Summit Series keynote speaker.

The 44th edition of the festival will take place in-person from June 11 to 14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alta., with Horgan (pictured) set to speak on the final day, according to a news release.

The Emmy-winning Merman prodco co-founder is known for starring roles on Channel 4 sitcom Catastrophe, which she co-wrote; 2022 Rockie Award-nominated BBC Two sitcom Motherland, which she co-created and co-wrote; Starz horror comedy Shining Vale, which she co-created; and comedy thriller Bad Sisters, which she wrote, co-created and executive produced for Apple TV+, where she has an overall deal.

In addition to speaking at BANFF,  Horgan will receive the Award of Excellence at the Rockies Gala on June 13. The award “acknowledges exceptional achievement through a body of work over an extended period of time,” with past honourees including Paul Feig, Jeremy Podeswa, Kenny Ortega, Eugene Levy, Carol Mendelsohn and David E. Kelley, said the release.

Horgan joins a growing list of keynote speakers slated to speak at BANFF, including CRTC chairperson and CEO Vicky Eatrides; George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS, and CCO, news and sports, for Paramount+; Fremantle CEO Jennifer Mullin; World of Wonder co-founders Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato; and Canadian comedian Lilly Singh, who is a host on upcoming CTV quiz show Battle of the Generations and a judge on Citytv’s Canada’s Got Talent.

Horgan has received two BAFTAs and two British Comedy Awards for her BBC show Pulling, which she co-wrote and starred in. She co-founded Merman alongside Clelia Mountford in 2014. The company works across the U.K. and U.S. and is in production on a pilot for ABC for Drop Off, the U.S. adaptation of Motherland.

Horgan is currently in production on season two of Bad Sisters and is next set to star in the drama series Best Interests on on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Her other credits for Merman include executive producing and starring in the animated comedy Housebroken on Fox and This Way Up (Ch4/Hulu), and executive producing Frank of Ireland (Channel 4/Amazon), Frayed (Sky/ABC) and There She Goes (BBC/Britbox).

“Sharon is one of the most prolific creators of our time, having produced hit after hit of critically-acclaimed content,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, executive director, BANFF, and VP, publisher, Playback, in a statement, adding that Horgan has “made a virtue of being a multi-hyphenate and continues to deliver honest, clever and wildly entertaining portrayals of women on screen.”

“We are privileged to be partnered with Sharon on Motherland for the BBC and are beyond excited about its U.S. adaptation that recently received a pilot order at ABC,” added Kevin Beggs, chair of the board of directors for BANFF and chair and CCO of the Lionsgate Television Group.

In addition to Summit Series keynotes, BANFF will feature an “array of provocative panel discussions,” said the release. Among them is a Universal Studio Group Spotlight session featuring Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television; Beatrice Springborn, president of Universal International Studios and UCP; and Toby Gorman, president of Universal Television Alternative Studio.

Also returning are the festival’s celebrity master classes, as well as the Rockie Awards International Program Competition.

Photo of Sharon Horgan courtesy of David Levene