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Accessibility for All
 Intimacy
still prime at Festival
In what has become an almost familiar dilemma for the Banff Television
Festival, a potential record number of delegatùes has challenged
organizers to come up with innovative ways to maintain the intimacy
that is the hallmark of the festival. Close to 2,000 international
delegates will register this year, yet the festival has done its
best to ensure accessibility to key decision makers is not compromised.
"We hope it won't be a crowded experience. I think the reputation
of Banff is about intimacy, hospitality and democracy, and if we
got any bigger we couldn't protect those values," said Pat
Ferns, president and CEO of the Banff Television Foundation. "I
think we've been reasonably imaginative in the way we've made sure
people can have small experiences that are personal and memorable,"
Ferns said.
The number of Master's Classes this year has been increased by
50% to 24, allowing 40 to 50 people per class to mentor with some
of the greatest creative talents in the business. More than 20 experts
in the fields of directing, writing, producing, new media, documentary
and children's programming are taking part in this year's by-appointment
program for pre-registered delegates. (Space is still available
in some sessions. Consult the sign-up sheets outside Room 1980).
"In that kind of environment, where you've got 90 minutes with
a major talent to ask the questions you want to ask, it provides
an experience people take away from Banff that for many has become
a highlight of the festival," said Ferns.
One of the more exciting new developments at this year's festival,
said Ferns, is the CTV Canadian Documart (Wednesday morning, Van
Horne Ballroom), in which $100,000 will be awarded to three documentary
projects in a session that Ferns said should be a "piece of
theatre" to watch. A panel of commissioning editors will hear
pitches from seven finalists chosen from 150 submissions. "A
clock will be counting down the time. Their image will be projected
on a big screen. It's going to be an intimidating atmosphere. It
really will be a piece of theatre. I wanted to do it like a skating
competition Ð 5.6 for technique; 5.9 for performance."
The seven producers will be judged 20% on the quality of their
pitch, 30% for the viability of the project and 50% for quality
of content. The winner will receive $50,000, with $30,000 for second
place and $20,000 for third. CTV is looking for popular, mainstream
documentary ideas that will attract an audience. The Documart's
prize money makes it the richest pitching session in the world.
Also a first this year is the New Player's Pitch, open to people
with one producer credit or less (Thursday morning, Van Horne Ballroom,
following the 17th annual Banff International Market Simulation).
Out of 200 applications, 16 young producers have been chosen. Each
will be given a three-minute platform to pitch an idea to a panel
of commissioning editors. Coupled with long-established opportunities
like Take A Decision Maker to Lunch, sponsored by WGBH International,
the new programs help organizers keep Banff accessible for delegates,
said Ferns.
"I think the real effectiveness of the festival is the fact
that people do have access to those making decisions, and this works
on an international as well as domestic basis." Major producers
regularly return to take scheduled pitches in meeting rooms. There
are numerous stories of people who can never get meetings in Paris
or Los Angeles continuing to benefit from one-on-one meetings at
Banff, said Ferns. "What we try to do is create opportunities.
There is not an "A list" party going on. Everybody can
meet everyone. It's quite funny to see a Steven Bochco or a Bob
Newhart mingling with a crowd and people will pick their brain and
do whatever."
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