Bell Media 2014 National Fellowship Program Now Accepting Applications for Banff World Media Festival

- Annual program encourages professional development in the television industry by enabling emerging talent to attend the Banff World Media Festival -
- Deadline for applications is Friday, March 21, 2014 at 5 p.m. ET -

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TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2014 /CNW/ - Bell Media announced today that applications are now being accepted for this year's Bell Media National Fellowship Program. Selected recipients will receive full registration for the 2014 Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) and round-trip air transportation to attend the event, which runs June 8 - 11, 2014 in Banff, Alta. Applications will be accepted until Friday, March 21 at 5 p.m. ET.

"We are extremely pleased to once again offer creative talent the opportunity to attend BANFF and share their projects with key industry executives," said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production. "The best and brightest come to this internationally recognized festival to share their innovative ideas for television programming, and these Fellowships give those just starting their careers the chance to get there."

Part of the $1.8 million Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative, the Bell Media National Fellowship program allows up-and-coming producers, writers, and directors to benefit from the programming, mentorship, and pitching opportunities available at BANFF. In addition to registration and travel, the Fellowship covers admission to all seminars, workshops, feature interviews, and screenings as well as all official social events, including a Bell Media sponsored event to introduce the Fellows to the BANFF community. Additionally, one notable program graduate is honoured each year with the Bell Media National Fellowship Award of Distinction. Selected candidates must bring a suitable-for-broadcast project to BANFF with specific goals in mind. All projects must be Canadian and can cover a number of genres including drama, documentary, children's, comedy/entertainment, lifestyle, or reality.

Previous Fellows include Craig David Wallace, co-creator and showrunner of the critically-acclaimed series TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL (Space, Comedy, Much) and winner of the inaugural Bell Media National Fellowship Award of Distinction in 2013; Dane Clark, screenwriter of the Praxis prize-winning feature film Old Stock; Jessie Gabe, head writer on MR. D (CBC); Jennifer Hollett, award-winning broadcast journalist; and Will Pascoe, co-producer and writer on ORPHAN BLACK (Space).

For details about requirements and submission guidelines, or to submit an application, please click here.

About the Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative
The $1.8 million Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative is a suite of national training programs, exclusively funded by Bell Media, which ensure a comprehensive range of training for writers, producers, directors, and showrunners in the Canadian television industry at different stages of their careers. The Initiative supports the Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program (Writers Guild of Canada) for emerging and mid-career writers from diverse backgrounds who intern in a writing room of a Bell Media TV series; the Bell Media National Fellowship Program (Banff World Media Festival), which encourages professional development in the television industry by enabling emerging producers, writers, and directors to attend the festival and take part in mentorship activities; the Bell Media Primetime TV Program (Canadian Film Centre), which provides series development for TV writers; the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab, which provides immersive and experiential broadcast and production experience for mid-level producers; the Bell Media Showrunner Bootcamp (Canadian Film Centre), which develops showrunner knowledge and management for TV writers; the Media Leadership Program (Women in Film and Television - Toronto), a biennial program designed for mid to senior-level women and men who want leading-edge academic knowledge and contemporary business and leadership skills required in the Canadian screen-based industry; and the Business Management for Media Professionals Program (Women in Film and Television - Toronto),  a certificate program essential for emerging media professionals who want to understand the business of film, television and interactive production.

About Bell Media Independent Production
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, THE LISTENER, MOTIVE, the #1 new Canadian scripted series of the 2012/13 season, MASTERCHEF CANADA, and THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, the record-breaking, Canadian-produced complementary version of the hit international series. Also coming to CTV in early 2014 is multi-cam office comedy SPUN OUT. Among the scripted series on Bell Media pay and specialty channels are the two-time Emmy®-nominated hit DEGRASSI, leading Canadian Screen Award nominee and internationally acclaimed ORPHAN BLACK, BITTEN, 19-2, and TRANSPORTER: THE SERIES, and upcoming dramas SENSITIVE SKIN and KILLJOYS. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to reality series such as BRAVE NEW GIRLS, game shows MATCH GAME and POP QUIZ, and factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL and CANADA'S WORST DRIVER, among others. In 2013, Bell Media ordered 27 original Canadian series and currently has 84 projects in various stages of development.

About Bell Media
With passion and an unrelenting commitment to excellence, Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's #1 television network; 35 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada's most-watched specialty channels in English and French; four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran; and is managing shareholder of premium pay-per-view service Viewers Choice Canada. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 107 licensed radio stations in 55 markets across Canada. Bell Media owns Astral Out-of-Home, one of Canada's most dynamic and innovative out-of-home advertising companies with a network of more than 9,500 advertising faces in Québec, Ontario and British Columbia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites, delivers TV Everywhere with its innovative GO video streaming services, including CTV GO, TMN GO, and Bravo GO, and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca

SOURCE: Bell Media

Amy Doary, Bell Media, 416.384.2593 or [email protected]