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Throughout the month of September, Content Canada’s Digital Summit will publish a collection of dynamic content that puts the Canadian business in perspective, and amplifies its mission to the world. The Summit will feature a mix of digitally delivered sessions, masterclasses, screenings, podcasts, live-streamed keynote interviews and a host of related content.
Updates on the Content Canada Digital Summit schedule and announcements of additional programs and initiatives will be detailed below.
SESSION 1
Fireside Chat with Jordan Banks
Jordan Banks, President of Rogers Sports & Media, sits down with Sportnet’s Christine Simpson for his first virtual Fireside Chat at Content Canada. Hear about how the company has adapted through these unprecedented times and how, guided by data, analytics and technology, Rogers is evolving in today’s media landscape. Sharing valuable perspective from his time as managing director of Facebook and Instagram in Canada, Banks will elaborate on his deep understanding of world-class digital platforms and content in a mobile-first digital world.
Brought to you in partnership with Rogers Sports & Media
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SESSION 2
Calgary Day
Spotlight On: Production in Alberta
Alberta is moving past the pandemic to open the province in a safe and effective way. Presented in partnership with Calgary Economic Development, this session will feature experts from across the media landscape who have successfully produced, and are successful producing again, in Alberta. Our experts will share their insights about what Alberta has to offer and how they’re getting back to business, as we shine the Content Canada spotlight on: Production in Alberta.
Brought to you in partnership with Calgary Economic Development
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SESSION 3
The Women Behind CTV’s JANN
Iconic singer-songwriter and comedy star, Jann Arden, will be featured along with the powerful team of women behind their hit series in this exclusive masterclass. The women behind CTV’s “JANN” will take centre stage for a funny, entertaining and informative look at the series’ success, and how it is empowering women in front of and behind the camera. Joining series star, co-creator, and executive producer Jann Arden are fellow co-creators and executive producers Leah Gauthier and Jennica Harper – who also serves as showrunner – alongside writer Nelu Handa and Pat DiVittorio, vice-president, programming, CTV and Specialty, Bell Media. The master class will be moderated by The Social’s Cynthia Loyst.
Brought to you in partnership with CTV
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SESSION 4
In Conversation with CMPA’s Reynolds Mastin
Canadian producers, like all in the production world, have been deeply affected by the current pandemic. At a time when the Canadian industry was already grappling with a rapidly evolving media landscape, along came Covid-19 which turned producers’ worlds around. Reynolds Mastin, president and CEO of the Canadian Media Producers Association, is laser focused on helping his members get past the current crisis and succeed. He sits down with C21Media’s founder and editor-in-chief, David Jenkinson, to discuss Canada’s response, as well as other pressing issues to be addressed and resolved in order to put Canadian producers in a position to thrive.
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SESSION 5
Launch of Content Canada Development Market and Export Café
Content Canada, in partnership with Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, is proud to present a B2B and B2G Development Market matching Canadian producers with select Trade Commissioners, content buyers, streaming platforms, development executives, and potential co-production/co-financing partners for virtual one-on-one meetings. (Pre-Registration Required)
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SESSION 6
First Inaugural Content Canada IMPACT Award: Presented to Valerie Creighton, president and CEO, Canada Media Fund
Content Canada is proud to present its first annual IMPACT AWARD to Valerie Creighton, president and CEO, Canada Media Fund. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the CMF, which is responsible for funding approximately C$350 million annually towards the creation of original Canadian television and digital media content, as well as promoting and fostering the Canadian media industry. As president and CEO of the CMF, Valerie is celebrated for fiercely championing Canada’s place in the global media industry, and expertly promoting its original content. Interviewed by esteemed Canadian actor, Karine Vanasse, come celebrate as the IMPACT Award is officially presented to Valerie Creighton.
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SESSION 7
Roundtable Discussion: Ways to Bring About Lasting Diversity and Inclusion in the Canadian Entertainment Industry
How can lasting change be implemented in the Canadian industry to ensure our entertainment media landscape reflects our inclusive society? How can talent behind and in front of the camera become more diverse? Join us for a candid roundtable discussion with independent production leaders about the challenges of working in the Canadian screen industry as an Indigenous person or person of colour, and, what changes they recommend on a structural level to have these issues addressed in a lasting way.
Brought to you in partnership with Canada Media Fund
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SESSION 8
Spotlight On: Insight Productions 40th Anniversary
This session will pay tribute to renowned independent production company Insight Productions Ltd on its 40th anniversary. Insight’s CEO and Executive Producer, John Brunton, will be interviewed by industry insider Ed Robinson about the company’s incredible longevity, innovation and accomplishments – also joined by several other of their key senior executives. Responsible for bringing Canadian audiences some of the most beloved international tv franchises, this session will not only inspire,but will provide valuable thought leadership about resilience, and how to achieve lasting success in the Canadian screen industry.
Brought to you in partnership with Insight Productions
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SESSION 9
Canadian Creative Accelerator: Finalists Announced
The applications are in and the judging is done – let’s meet the first 6 companies accepted into the Canadian Creative Accelerator!
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service at the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles is pleased to announce the participants selected for the intensive 3-month course of workshops, networking, and one-on-one meetings with the best TV producers, financiers, distributors, and talent in Hollywood.
Brought to you in partnership with the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service at The Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles
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SESSION 10
HireBIPOC
The Canadian media industry is having a moment of reckoning. We need to move forward beyond the Diversity 101 discussions to create lasting, systemic change. That means a strong commitment from all levels of the industry: broadcasters, showrunners and creators alike. Initiatives like HireBIPOC, a Canadian, screen-based, industry-wide roster of crew and creatives has a simple objective: to get more BIPOC hired. This panel explores solutions to closing employment gaps in the entertainment media landscape at every level, how diversity in front of and behind the camera enriches content, the commitments among broadcasters to adapt and progress, and what it will take to make diversity and inclusion a condition of greenlight for productions.
Moderated by writer, director, and founder of BIPOC TV & Film, Nathalie Younglai, the panel also features: award-winning filmmaker, producer, writer, and Indigenous rights activist Michelle Latimer; writer and showrunner Anthony Q Farrell; Andrew Barnsley, CEO of Project 10 Productions Inc.; Trish Williams, Executive Director of Scripted Content for the CBC; and Corrie Coe, Senior Vice President of Original Programming for Bell Media.
Brought to you in partnership with HireBIPOC
SESSION 11
In Conversation With Paul Feig and Lionsgate’s Scott Herbst: Premium Content in the Streaming Age
Hear from acclaimed writer, director, producer and actor Paul Feig and Lionsgate Television’s head of scripted development Scott Herbst as they engage in an exclusive conversation with C21’s founder and editor-in-chief David Jenkinson. Examining premium content in the streaming age, the two will discuss the growing slate of hit projects coming from their companies’ collaboration, as well as Feig’s career and success at championing diverse voices on screen.
Brought to you in partnership with Lionsgate
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SESSION 12
Oh Canada: Your Future in the Global Content Industry
What is the viability of the future of broadcasting in Canada, and how can broadcasters help to ensure Canada’s prominent role in the global market? How do diversification, national and international partnerships and/or consolidation help or hurt Canada’s broadcasters and producers? Join Troy Reeb, Executive Vice President of Broadcast Networks at Corus Entertainment, for this exclusive ‘In Conversation With…’. Troy Reeb sits down with Mercedes Stephenson, host of Global Television Network’s The West Block to explore these questions and more, offering valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for Canadian broadcasters in a globalized marketplace.
Brought to you in partnership with Corus Entertainment
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SESSION 13
The New Normal: Producing Past Covid
What is the ‘new normal’ now that safety protocols are being put in place and producers are getting back to set? What industry standards have changed permanently? For the better? For the worse? And more importantly, what innovations will come from the challenges producers have faced? Join our panel of esteemed independent producers with different perspectives and from different genres, as they discuss producing past covid, and settling into the ‘new normal’.
Brought to you in partnership with Incendo
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SESSION 14
Going Global: Getting Into International Co-Pros and Partnerships
In the face of increasing challenges and disruptive forces in the global media industry, the benefits of international partnerships and co-productions are becoming even more pronounced. Partnerships drive increased reach and synergies in order to compete with global consolidation. This session will provide expert insight and practical examples of successful international co-productions and partnerships, and how to pursue these opportunities for your company.
Brought to you in partnership with Blue Ant Media
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SESSION 15
In Conversation with Catherine Tait and Barbara Williams
Canada’s public broadcaster is playing a pivotal role serving audiences and working with creators and producers in new ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this exclusive conversation, Catherine Tait and Barbara Williams open up about CBC/Radio-Canada’s response to the pandemic and other issues facing the Canadian industry, and how they are charting a path forward.
Brought to you in partnership with CBC
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SESSION 16
Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Explore CBC’s upcoming groundbreaking documentary series, which sheds new light on the history of the transatlantic slave trade and demonstrates to audiences that this is truly a global story. The series is led by icon and activist Samuel L. Jackson with investigative journalists Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici, who is also series director. Enslaved is a Canada/UK co-production between Associated Producers and Cornelia Street Productions in association with CBC and documentary Channel in Canada and EPIX in the U.S. The series will also broadcast on BBC Two in the UK, and is distributed internationally by Fremantle.
Brought to you in partnership with CBC
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