CBS Entertainment’s Amy Reisenbach to Keynote Banff World Media Festival

The Banff World Media Festival has added CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach to its ‘In Conversation With’ session lineup ahead of its 45th edition in June.

On Thursday, the Canadian Rockies festival also announced as additional speakers Lisa Kramer, president, international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution; Asif Sadiq, chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Cori Wellins, William Morris Endeavor partner, for the June 9 to 12 gathering in Banff, Alberta.

Also joining the Banff lineup is Gold House CEO Bing Chen and Sandra Dewey, COO of Media Res as festival headliners during a conference expected to focus this year on international financing and co-productions for global TV content.

Banff earlier announced that Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group chairman and CEO, and Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment keynote speakers this year. Their appearance in Banff comes as Hollywood’s studios and streamers emerge from dual writers and actors strikes in a cost-cutting mode.

At the same time, the major Hollywood studios are looking to continue the rollout of streaming platforms in key international markets, and bolster their creative pipelines across key film and TV studios.

Banff Festival executive director Jenn Kuzmyk in a statement on Thursday said of the upcoming 45th edition: “Now is not the time to be timid. The industry is at an inflection point. We’re programming a provocative lineup of speakers and this year’s festival is poised to be a cornerstone event for media professionals navigating the complexities of our rapidly growing landscape.”