Awards
Curtains close on 2006 Banff World TV Fest
MUMBAI: The 2006 Banff World Television Festival came to a close on 14 June, with a combined 1,700 delegates attending both the television festival and its sister-event, nextMedia-The Future of Digital Content.
Banff World Television Festival CEO Robert Montgomery said, “This year’s elite lineup of VIP guest speakers and record number of U.S. delegates really is a reflection on how important this Festival is, globally.”The Festival included a host of panel and session rooms along with special events. It also generated the signing of new deals and an opportunity for delegates to turn their project ideas and concepts into real productions, informs an official release.
Some of the notable deals inked this year included, David Paperny of Paperny Films who sealed a $1.4-million financing deal with both the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and CTV Inc. for a new documentary.
Chris Haddock’s latest procedural drama, Intelligence will be viewed in the U.S., an outcome of the deal between U.S. distributors Program Partners and Thunderbird Films.
In addition, last year’s pitching finalist, Sinking Ship Enterprises, announced that their children’s project Roll Play is slated to air this fall on Canada’s Treehouse TV.
“We not only saw a significant number of deals being signed, but also facilitated the development of a plethora of future programming,” added Montgomery.
The winners this year include:
CTV Canadian Documart
First prize and $50,000 was presented to The Dolphin Dealer by Leigh Badgley, OMNI Film Productions Ltd.
Second prize and $30,000 was presented to Inventing The Future: Atanasoff, Mauchly And The First Computer by Mila Aung-Thwin, EyeSteelFilm.
Third prize and $20,000 was presented to Web Warriors by Edward Peill, Tell Tale Productions Inc.
Pitch It : Drama and Comedy
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Ian Johnson, Guru Inc. won a development prize of $10,000 from Showcase for the completeness of the pitch-its setting and characters.
Pitch It : Lifestyle and Reality
High School Reunion Stories by Antonio Hrynchuk, Fahrenheit Films with a development prize of $10,000 from Life Network for an appealing concept and endless potential for conflict in the stories.
Pitch It : Children’s Programming
The World According To Ella by Mark Montefiore, Polenta Productions won for fleshed characters, a nice, simple concept and brilliant writing and casting.
Kodak Audience Award
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Ian Johnson, Guru Inc. received $5,000 in film stock from Kodak Canada for being the all-round favourite pitch, chosen by the audience.
iPitch
Raven Tales by Michael Ockenden, Sand Box Media Games with Joanne Levy, APTN won a development prize of $10,000 from the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund for an incredible game element and portraying beautiful Canadian stories.
nextMedia-The Future Of Digital Content
nextMedia finished on a high note following an impressive three day schedule of speakers, panels, keynotes and networking events. The sold-out event featured more than 260 delegates, representing a 10 per cent increase over last year.
The Banff World Television Festival owned by the Banff Television Festival Foundation, is produced by Achilles Media Ltd. on behalf of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Board of Governors, representing international producers and broadcasters. Achilles Media is a management organization for some of the world’s leading television and new media industry events including the Banff World Television Festival, the World Congress of History Producers and nextMedia – The Future of Digital Content.
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
