When broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos took the stage at the recent Canadian Screen Awards, he had a message for television audiences across the country. “When our identities are under attack, [our culture] “It matters more than ever. Because a country that doesn’t tell its own stories is just someone else’s market, and we’re better for it,” the veteran podcaster and host declared.
The dangers behind this sentiment — cultural sovereignty in the age of Donald Trump’s annexation threats — will be abundantly clear at the Banff World Media Festival when it takes place June 14-17 in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. One local success story is likely to get the loudest applause: Hot competitiona Canadian gay hockey drama that became an unexpected global hit on HBO Max.
“Hot competition “Canadian and Canadian entertainment has risen to the heights of audiences and audiences around the world, and that’s a great thing,” says Gene Kuzmic, executive director of the Banff Festival. But the festival’s broader conversation will push beyond any single title toward the question that’s driving the entire global content industry right now: how do you tell stories rooted in local culture while building the kind of international audience that… Hot competition Found?
“All the lines are blurred now,” says Kuzmic, as content producers everywhere try to please audiences at home while chasing money to premium streamers abroad.
Cosmic points to the shot of Vancouver Back roomsthe horror film from YouTuber turned director Ken Parsons and Carrie Parker mania As recent examples of online content creators who have transitioned into theatrical business. “There are partnerships happening with all the Canadian broadcasters and media companies and YouTube, back and forth,” she says. “We will see more things happening on YouTube, and it will be less isolated as we see more crossover and content being launched on YouTube or TikTok and then having a different life on other platforms.”
Deal making in Banff this year may be as important as the panel discussions. Spain, selected as the festival’s country of honor for 2026, is sending a delegation of producers and industry executives to the Rocky Mountains in search of international co-productions – part of a broader expansion of Spain as a production hub for global studios and streaming. “[They want] “Global successes don’t happen in isolation,” Kuzmic says. “So they are looking for partnerships, both inbound and outbound, as they look to do content deals, co-production and distribution deals, and infrastructure deals to invest in studios in the audio-visual industry in Spain.”
The keynote speakers reflect the international ambitions of the festival. Jesse Armstrong, the British screenwriter behind HBO successionwill appear alongside Georgie Holt, CEO of podcast-focused media company FlightStory, and Jenny Howe, Netflix’s head of scripted series in the US and Canada, whose credits include Bridgerton and Night agent.
For all the angst surrounding the industry, Cosmic hasn’t lost sight of the basic fact: it has a festival to throw. “I’m always optimistic,” she says. “You can’t hold an event in the most beautiful place in the world, in a castle, and pretend you’re doing anything other than something exhilarating.”
This story appeared in the June 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.
