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I remember my fist time at the Banff Media Festival in 2009. It was an honour to be selected for a program to attend for my first time. At this past edition, 2025, I was selected for two opportunities, and while I wanted to wear all three lanyards that announced my chosen status, I had to elect one and I decided on the special blue lanyard that announced I was part of the Banff Spark Producers Edition, sponsored by Paramount+.

This kind of curated experience meant that I could see my fellow cohort members and wave with a smile. We were 25 producers that knew what it took for us to attend this hustle and bustle of a conference in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Surrounded by crisp, mountain air. It was easy to suggest meetings on the verandah outside kissed by the sun.

The Banff Spark and the Diversity of Voices experience means that we are surrounded by a like-minded cohort. We see each other and gravitated towards a shared experience. In this business, it’s so easy to be alone that having smiling faces to wave to as you run from one meeting to another is a must.

Anyone who wants to ask me about these two programs, feel free to reach out. When the applications come around again, I’m happy to discuss what it means to be sponsored by both. Do they help? I have to say a resounding yes, having been supported multiple times to attend. It’s a camaraderie that is beyond priceless.

More pictures to come!