HBO CEO Richard Plepler And President Of Programming Michael Lombardo To Headline Banff World Media Festival In June

TORONTO, April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The organizers of the 37^th Banff World Media Festival proudly announced today that HBO's top executives will headline the event as part of the 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's President of Programming Michael Lombardo will join Damon Lindelof, Co-Creator/Showrunner of HBO's The Leftovers, for a special Fireside Chat on Monday, June 13^th, 2016.  Lombardo will also be on hand at BANFF's Rockie Awards Gala on Tuesday June 14^th to accept the prestigious Company of Distinction Award on behalf of HBO.

Michael Lombardo has been the President of Programming at HBO since 2007. Formerly, Lombardo was executive vice president, Business Affairs, Production and Programming Operations, a position he held since January 2003.

Lindelof is Co-creator of the HBO series The Leftovers, and the Emmy-winning Creator and Showrunner of the television series Lost. In addition to his work in television Lindelof co-wrote the science fiction films Cowboys & Aliens, Prometheus, Star Trek Into Darkness, World War Z and Tomorrowland.

BANFF's Company of Distinction program is used as an opportunity for the Festival to pay homage to a prestigious company demonstrating significant leadership in the world of screen-based entertainment.  As 2016's Company of Distinction, HBO's executives, producers and talent will be featured throughout the four-day event.  The program was started in 2013 honoring CBS Corporation, followed by Lionsgate Entertainment in 2014 and A+E Networks in 2015.

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