Banff World Media Festival Unveils 4 HBO Mega Sessions

TORONTO, May 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The upcoming 37^th Banff World Media Festival continues to announce marquee top sessions and executives joining its impressive lineup. Today the event's organizers are unveiling 4 HBO Super-Sessions featuring some of the biggest names in the global entertainment programming and creative community including newly appointed President of Programming Casey Bloys. The newly added Master Class sessions include the following:

• Comedy Masterclass focused on the runaway hit series GIRLS featuring HBO's President of Programming Casey Bloys and GIRLS Executive Producer Jenni Konner.
• HBO Films Masterclass featuring Emmy Award winning Director, Writer and Producer Jay Roach (All the Way, Game Change, Recount) and Len Amato, President, HBO Films.
• HBO International Global Heads featuring Roberto Rios, Corporate VP, Original Production, HBO Latin America and Antony Root, EVP Original Programming and Production, HBO Europe.
• Limited Series Masterclass featuring Academy Award winning Producer, Writer and Director Steve Zaillian (Schindler's List, Awakenings, Moneyball) and Kary Antholis, President, HBO Miniseries & Cinemax Programming

BANFF takes place June 12-15 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. HBO is headlining the event as part of BANFF's prestigious Company of Distinction Program.  As previously announced, Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler will give the Company of Distinction Keynote on Tuesday, June 14, 2016.  Plepler will be interviewed by Canada's own Ben Mulroney, host of CTV's Etalk.

HBO is the innovative, premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. providing two television services, HBO and Cinemax, to approximately 131 million subscribers globally.  HBO also launched in the U.S. last year the standalone streaming service HBO NOW for broadband-only consumers wanting access to HBO programming. HBO and Cinemax programming is sold to over 150 countries globally. In Canada, Bell Media delivers current-season, past-season, and library HBO programming exclusively on its pay television networks HBO Canada and Super Écran, and leading video-streaming platform CraveTV. Bell Media and HBO are also partners in an original production development program, with the goal of co-producing premium, made-in-Canada content for the world stage. Bell Media is a proud Grand Patron of the Banff World Media Festival.

About HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world's most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 131 million subscribers worldwide.  The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand®, as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. HBO NOW®, the network's internet-only premium streaming service, provides audiences with instant access to HBO's acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries.  HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

About the Banff World Media Festival
The Banff World Media Festival is the world's largest and most important gathering of entertainment industry and digital media executives dedicated to media content development, production, broadcast and distribution within TV and digital media. BANFF provides a platform for the evolving media industry to develop its creative and business objectives – it serves as the leading destination for co-production and co-venture partners and is an unparalleled marketplace for over 2,000 international decision-makers to connect with new partners, learn from industry leaders and execute new business deals. The 37th annual BANFF World Media Festival will take place June 12-15, 2016 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Canada.

SOURCE Banff World Media Festival