The Canadian Film Centre and Buffer Festival Launch Canada's First Major YouTube Industry Conference

This First of Its Kind Industry Event Will Explore Current and Emerging Business Trends on YouTube During the Annual Buffer Festival


TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - Aug 21, 2014) -  The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is delighted to announce the inaugural Buffer Festival Industry Day, taking place in Toronto on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Toronto. This one-day conference is for industry professionals looking to optimize YouTube as a content and talent development platform and a marketing and distribution channel. It provides a unique opportunity to network with celebrity YouTubers, MCNs, CMOs and digital entertainment industry executives.

Attendees can expect an exciting lineup of sessions and networking opportunities as top YouTube creators provide insight into global YouTube domination; brands and creators examine some of the most successful branded entertainment partnerships, and MCNs discuss the seismic shifts hitting the YT landscape. Speakers lined up to attend include top ranking YouTubers:

  • Harley Morenstein, Creator/Host, Epic Meal Time (6,500,000+ Subscribers)
  • Mitchell Moffitt, Co-Creator, AsapSCIENCE (2,800,000+ Subscribers)
  • Shay Carl, Vlogger and YouTube Creator (2,540,000+ Subscribers)
  • Craig Benzine, Creator, Wheezy Waiter (539,000+ Subscribers)
  • Bernie Su, Executive Producer & Head Writer, The Lizzie Bennett Diaries, Emma Approved and new series, Frankenstein, M.D. (119,000+ Subscribers)

"The CFC Media Lab is committed to accelerating talent, products, and companies in the digital entertainment sector," said Amy Davies, Associate Director, CFC Media Lab and Executive Producer, Buffer Festival Industry Day. "Central to that ecosystem is YouTube, and we are thrilled to create and launch Canada's first-ever YouTube Industry conference in partnership with one of our resident companies, Apprentice A Productions, and their new property, Buffer Festival."

Buffer Festival is a three-day, multi-cinema, theatrical celebration of the best creative content on YouTube. It runs from October 17 to 19, 2014 and features dozens of live screenings and celebrity meet-ups, plus a red carpet Gala premiere. Buffer Festival was incubated and developed through the CFC's digital entertainment accelerator, ideaBOOST. Top digital creators and high-profile partners, such as YouTube, Blue Ant Media, Cineplex Inc. and Canon all attend the annual event. Last year, the festival sold 5,000 tickets and hosted more than 70 YouTube celebrities with a combined 45 million subscribers and 7 billion views.

"We were beyond delighted with the success of Buffer Festival last year, with the participation of dozens of YouTube creators and thousands of attendees," said Corey Vidal, Creative Director and Founder of Buffer Festival. "It made perfect sense for us to partner with the CFC to produce our first Industry Day as part of Buffer Festival 2014. This year we have hundreds of top YouTubers taking part in our event. This is a unique opportunity for us to bring YouTube creators, advertisers, distributors, and entertainment executives together in one room."

For more information on Buffer Festival Industry Day, please visit http://bit.ly/1p76bQL

Tickets are currently on sale:
Buffer Festival Industry Day: $125 with Early Bird closing on September 7, 2014.
Buffer Festival: $15 with tickets, screenings and seats available for general purchase on August 19, 2014.

About CFC
CFC accelerates the careers of the brightest talent in film, television, screen acting, music and digital media. A charitable organization, CFC is committed to promoting and investing in Canada's diverse talent; providing exhibition, financial, and distribution opportunities, industry collaborations and creative partnerships for top creative content leaders. CFC makes a significant cultural and economic contribution to Canada by launching the country's most creative ideas and voices to the world. www.cfccreates.com

About CFC Media Lab
Created in 1997, the Canadian Film Centre's Media Lab (CFC Media Lab) provides a unique training, research and production think-tank environment for digital media content developers, and practitioners, as well as acceleration programs and services for start-ups and SMEs in digital entertainment. An internationally acclaimed and award-winning facility, CFC Media Lab participating developers and start-ups emerge as leaders in the world of digital media, produce innovative projects, and sustain 21st century companies. www.cfccreates.com

About ApprenticeA Productions
ApprenticeA Productions is a digital media company that has created YouTube content for over a dozen Fortune 500 companies, produced over 1500 YouTube videos, and amassed over 100 million video views. http://www.apprenticea.com

Contact Information:

Press Contact
Tory Patrick
Uproar PR for CFC
tpatrick@uproarpr.com
312-878-4575 x240