Meet the participants here.

Toronto: Thursday, May 18, 2023 - The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) in partnership with Super Channel, is pleased to announce the five women-led companies selected to participate in the 2023 BANFF SPARK ALL STARS program. This special edition of the Banff Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media, is focused on providing five alumni of the program a customized stream of business development opportunities, one-on-one mentorship, and exclusive access to top international media industry professionals, during the 2023 Festival.

The BANFF Spark All Stars are:
Jennifer Beasley - Big Cheese Pictures
Sholeh Alemi Fabbri - Good Measure Productions
Jennifer Pun - Edge Entertainment
Alexandra Roberts - Push Pictures
Kaitlan Stewart - Fenix Film and Television

Read their bios here.

“BANFF Spark has already made measurable progress toward advancing economic parity for women entrepreneurs in our industry. It has generated positive career growth for 200 women participants by helping them form strategic partnerships, hone their business plans, and gain a foothold in the global market. As we evolve, we are delighted to once again work with our founding partner Super Channel, to bring five alumni of the program back to BANFF for the 2023 ‘All Stars’ edition. The journey toward achieving equity in our industry continues,” says Jenn Kuzmyk Executive Director, Banff World Media Festival.

“As the Founding Industry Partner of BANFF Spark, we have been a proud supporter of this program since its inception and remain committed to doing our part to advance the economic security and parity for women in the screen industry,” said Don McDonald, President and CEO, Super Channel.

“We send our heartfelt congratulations to these five deserving participants and are thrilled to return this year to allow this essential program to continue to provide them with meaningful opportunities to bolster their businesses even further. We are sure that the exclusive access, mentorship, networking and opportunities they will receive at Banff will propel their companies to the next level. ”

BANFF Spark provides business guidance, and a gateway to the Canadian and global film and television industry through the renowned Banff World Media Festival's (BANFF) conference and marketplace. The program has diversity at its core - empowering women of color, Indigenous women, women with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ women, and non-binary individuals to advance both domestically, and across the global media industry.

Meet past participant women-led companies: here.

About the Banff World Media Festival:

Now in its 44th year, and with 45+ countries participating, the Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) and the Rockie Awards host one of the most important global conferences and content development marketplaces - gathering top creators, producers, showrunners, talent, networks, studios, streamers, press and media companies. BANFF’s intimate, retreat-style event serves as a leading destination for development, co-production and co-venture partners and offers an unparalleled opportunity for international decision-makers to connect, map the future of the industry, and execute new business deals. Summit Series keynotes, Master Classes and renowned Showrunner Superpanels feature the industry’s most inspiring creative and business leaders and give global profile to the most talked-about shows. The Rockie Awards International Program Competition and Rockies Galarecognize the best content and most influential entertainment industry executives, talent and creators in the world. BANFF continues to deliver important fellowships and initiatives including: the BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media, the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative, and the Indigenous Screen Summit and Pitch Forum. Together these programs have provided more than 700 opportunities for under-represented professionals in the Canadian media industry.