Ted Sarandos Will Keynote at BANFF

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce Netflix's Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos is set to speak in a virtual keynote as part of the BANFF Summit Series lineup. The session is scheduled on the Festival's OPENING DAY Monday, June 14th.

Now in its 42nd year, BANFF is one of the world's most important international conferences and marketplaces - where new business partnerships are forged and new TV, film and digital media projects are ignited. The BANFF Summit Series is a premium lineup featuring the boldest voices and the world's most influential media leaders.

"Over the last 10-plus years we have been thrilled to share great stories with Canadians, and work with some of the best creators from across the country," commented Sarandos. "As we expand our local presence further, collaborating with partners like the BANFF World Media Festival helps us deepen these relationships and bring more Canadian entertainment to our members around the world. Even though we won't be able to gather in person this time, I look forward to the unique dialogue BANFF offers.

"The impact that Ted Sarandos and Netflix have had on the entertainment business and on the lives of people around the globe is impossible to quantify and has become much more evident over the past year," said Jenn Kuzmyk, Executive Director, Banff World Media Festival. "Ted continues to support new voices and champion groundbreaking work, raising the bar for creative excellence. The festival is thrilled to welcome him as Netflix Canada celebrates its 10th anniversary, for what is sure to be an inspiring keynote conversation, outlining his global vision and tackling some of the big questions in the industry and where it's headed amid continuing seismic change."

Sarandos serves as Chief Content Officer and co-CEO at Netflix. He oversees the teams responsible for the acquisition and creation of all Netflix content including original series from around the world such as Stranger Things, Dark (Germany) La Casa de Papel (Spain), Sacred Games (India) and The Witcher (Poland), and films including The Irishman, Murder Mystery, Bird Box, the 3-time Academy Award winning film ROMA and the Academy Award winning Marriage Story. Ted has been responsible for all content operation since 2000, and led the company's transition into original content production that began in 2013 with the launch of the series House of Cards, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT and Orange Is the New Black, among numerous others. Today, Netflix is available in 190 countries and Netflix originals have received numerous awards around the world including 114 Primetime Emmy wins, 8 Academy Awards, and 7 BAFTA Film Awards including Best Film.

With delegates from more than 50 countries, BANFF attracts the world's top creators, producers, showrunners, talent, networks, studios, streamers, press, and media companies. The 2021 edition of the Festival is poised to build on the success of last year's virtual event, with a purpose-built online platform that will connect the global media industry to ignite new projects and support business development.

In addition to its Festival programming and marketplace, BANFF continues to deliver important fellowships and initiatives including The BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media, supported by the Government of Canada which empowers Canadian women entrepreneurs to launch and grow their own sustainable businesses within the screen-based industries as well as the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative, a program that jumpstarts and accelerates the careers of up to 100 Black, Indigenous and people of colour producers and creators.

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