Paul Feig, Sarah Barnett Join Keynote Summit Series Speaker Lineup For Banff World Media Festival

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-nominated director, producer, screenwriter and activist Paul Feig ("Bridesmaids," Freaks and Geeks, The Office), and Sarah Barnett, President, Entertainment Networks, for AMC Networks as keynotes within the Festival's 40th Anniversary Summit Series, a premium speaker lineup featuring the boldest voices and the world's most influential media leaders. TheFestival will take place June 9-12, 2019 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

"With the addition of Paul and Sarah to the Summit Series, excitement continues to build for this year's festival," said Randy Lennox, Chair of the Board of Directors, BANFF, and President, Bell Media. "We welcome Paul and Sarah and their unique and innovative perspectives to BANFF in what is shaping up to be an incredible lineup of top-tier speakers."

The BANFF Summit Series is a curated lineup of keynote sessions being launched in honour of the festival's four-decade legacy. This powerful speaker roster will feature the global players who are shaping the future of the media industry. As previously announced, other BANFF Summit Series participants include Jeffrey Katzenberg, Co-founder of Dreamworks, and currently Managing Partner of WndrCo and Chairman and Founder of Quibi and Paula A. Kerger, President and Chief Executive Officer of PBS.

Paul Feig, creator of the hit series Freaks and Geeks and director of Academy Award® nominated film "Bridesmaids," was responsible for executive producing and directing Emmy® Award nominated episodes of the US version of The Office. He received two Emmy® nominations for writing Freaks and Geeks and was later named in Time magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time. His directing work spans some of the most acclaimed and beloved comedies and dramas of the past decade including directing onArrested Development, Weeds and Nurse Jackie, Mad Men, 30 ROCK and Parks and Recreation, as well as his numerous films including "The Heat," "Spy," "Ghostbusters: ATC" and last year's "A Simple Favor."

As President of Entertainment Networks for AMC Networks, Sarah Barnett is one of America's leading television executives, with oversight of AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV and AMC Premiere. Before her current role, Barnett was president and GM of BBC AMERICA. Under her watch, the brand rose to prominence as a programming powerhouse, with award-winning and critically-acclaimed hits like Orphan Black, Planet Earth and Killing Eve, winner of 2019's Golden Globe®, Critics' Choice Award and SAG Award for star Sandra Oh's performance. Additionally, it was announced today that KILLING EVE garnered 14 BAFTA TV Award nominations. A specialist in entertainment marketing and branding, Barnett also led a rebirth of SundanceTV starting in 2009, when she launched the network's scripted strategy with critical hits like Top of the Lake, Rectify and The Honorable Woman.

BANFF is a premium marketplace and conference, an intimate space where unparalleled access, creative inspiration and expert insight combine to launch fresh content and new business strategies. For 40 years, BANFF has welcomed the best and brightest media minds on the planet to Canada's majestic Rocky Mountains. The festival has grown into a must-attend annual event where media moguls, producers, creatives and industry stakeholders along with broadcasters and digital media companies tackle issues and trends, forge relationships and nurture partnerships in one of the world's most stunning landscapes.

Attracting over 250 international buyers and delegates from more than 25 countries including a wide-ranging cross-section of television and digital media professionals, BANFF delivers a comprehensive examination of the opportunities and challenges facing the screen industries through keynotes from global leaders, contentious panel discussions, pre-booked Face-to-Face Meetings with industry decision-makers, expert forecasts, celebrity Master Classes, networking, critical case studies and more.