|
Return to
Index
Download this release:
Adobe
Acrobat
(PDF - 24 KB)
Microsoft
Word
(DOC - 82 KB)
|
|
Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps to Open BANFF 2001 and
Receive Special Citation from Festival's Board of Governors
(Banff, Alberta, June 6, 2001) Pat Ferns, president and CEO of
the Banff Television Foundation, which opens this Sunday, and its
international Board of Governors, chaired by Arthur Weinthal, announce
with great pleasure that the Foundation will present a special award
to Canadian Heritage Minister, the Hon. Sheila Copps. Minister Copps
will receive the award at the Board of Governors dinner Sunday,
June 10 which she will attend as a special guest. The award, to
be presented by Trina McQueen, chair of the Board of Directors,
is given to the Minister for her "outstanding leadership and
commitment to the promotion of culture and diversity in Canada and
around the world."
In making the announcement, Mr. Ferns said, "In her role as
Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps has made a huge mark
on Canadian culture and her policy accomplishments for television
and film have had an enormous impact on these industries. We salute
her contributions such as the creation of the Canadian Television
Fund, the Canadian Feature Film Policy, and most recently the $560
million investment in Canadian arts and culture."
Minister Copps will also be on hand Monday morning, June 11 to
officially open the 22nd Banff Television Festival at its first
plenary session. Later in the day she and the Hon. Pierre Pettigrew,
Minister for International Trade, will be the guest speakers at
a Broadcasters Lunch, sponsored by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.
This luncheon presentation will explore cultural diversity and trade
in cultural products, a subject of frequent debate among the international
attendees at the Banff Television Festival.
Sheila Copps has been Minister of Canadian Heritage since January
1996. Her underlying philosophy is that, while Canada is open to
what the world has to offer, our citizens must also have access
to their own stories, voices, and images. She has consequently worked
to build partnerships, develop audiences, and to substantially boost
the quality of Canadian cultural products in French, English, and
aboriginal languages. Among her accomplishments are the creation
of the Canadian Television Fund which in four years has provided
more than $780 million in joint public-private funding to support
$2.7 billion in television programming; the creation of the Canadian
Feature Film Policy; the first overhaul of the Canadian Copyright
Act in 73 years; the establishment of the Canadian Film or Video
Production Tax Credit; the creation of the $10-million-a-year Sound
Recording Development Program; the launch of the Digital Cultural
Content Initiative to increase Canadian internet content; and the
creation of the International Network of Culture Ministers.
BANFF 2001 is a weeklong event for content creators and distributors.
The Festival schedule includes plenary sessions, many public pitching
sessions, Master Classes, small one-on-one meeting opportunities
such as Breakfasts and Lunches with Decision Makers, topical workshops,
and the Banff Rockie Awards. It is anticipated that close to 2000
international industry representatives will be in Banff next week
for the 22nd annual Festival.
|
|
