Paramount+ in Canada has stepped forward with key financial backing to relaunch the Banff Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media: Producer Edition.
The announcement was made Tuesday at The Hollywood Reporter’s women’s breakfast held at the Banff World Media Festival and hosted by Elisabeth D. Rabishaw, executive vp and publisher of THR. The new partnership with Paramount+ in Canada relaunches the program for women entrepreneurs in Canadian media after a lack of new government funding threatened the industry accelerator after it was first launched in 2020.
“Paramount+ strongly believes that gender equity in Canadian media is imperative to advancing our industry,” said Vanessa Case, vp, content at Paramount+ Canada, said in a statement. “That is why we are proud to partner with the Banff World Media Festival to continue the Banff Spark program. We must continue to uplift the incredible women leaders we have and provide opportunities for them to progress to the next level in their careers,” Case added.
The Banff Sparks program is open to Canadian women and aims at elusive gender parity in the media industry by supporting growth, investment and sustainability of careers pursued by women in media companies. Participants will receive a 2025 Banff World Media Festival pass and a travel stipend to offset costs of attending the festival.
“We applaud our new partner, Paramount+, for their commitment to advancing gender parity in our industry through their support of Banff Spark. This first-of-its-kind program has already generated positive career growth for more than 200 women participants by helping them form strategic partnerships, hone their business skills and gain a foothold in the global market,” Jenn Kuzmyk executive director of the Banff World Media Festival, said in her own statement.
