Canadian TV Industry Boosts female Producers at Banff Festival

Updated June 12, 2025
⁤

the Banff World Media Festival showcased ⁤the Canadian TV⁣ industryS ongoing commitment to breaking down barriers for female producers and promoting gender equality in media. Several initiatives and voices emerged, highlighting a shift towards more inclusive storytelling and production practices.

Actors Chelsea Hobbs and Jovanna Burke ⁤unveiled their production company, Grand Boulevard Entertainment, at the ⁤festival. their ⁤goal is to generate more considerable⁤ roles for women and encourage Canadian talent to develop and produce their own content. Hobbs, known for ‍her roles ​in UnREAL and Make It or Break It, ⁣emphasized the need for ⁢more opportunities ⁢for Canadian actors, writers, and‌ producers, stating that “the stories should be there” as “the audience is there.”

Grand Boulevard pitched projects ⁢such as Puck Bunnies, a mockumentary about ‍hockey moms, and The Sandwich‌ generation, a comedy centered⁣ on parenting. Burke, who​ has appeared in Supernatural and The ⁢Flash, stressed ⁤the importance of creating authentic leading roles for Canadian women.”We always wanted ⁤to⁤ tell stories that we didn’t see in scripts,” Burke ‍said, adding that they aim to build​ a community ‌in Vancouver focused on female-driven narratives and underrepresented voices.

The Banff Spark⁣ Accelerator for Women in Media, supported by Paramount+ Canada, also featured 25 women with their own⁢ production companies. This program aims to address⁣ gender parity, notably for Indigenous and women of color.

Debra⁢ Kouri,president of Montreal-based Poutine Studios,is mentoring emerging BIPOC producers. ‌Kouri​ noted ⁣the historical reluctance ‌of female producers to⁢ support each other and ​is now actively working to open doors for others. Her recent productions ​include Poutine & punchlines, ​a travelogue series featuring international comics indulging in local delicacies.

Kouri pitched the Syrian Detective,⁤ a crime⁤ drama set in 1920s Montreal, focusing ⁤on a Syrian detective investigating a real-life murder case. Danielle Sturk,⁣ a Franco-Manitoba producer, is using the Spark accelerator to seek⁤ financing from European ‍markets ⁤for⁤ her projects.⁢ Sturk⁤ noted that the “cultural aesthetic in Europe feels much more aligned” with her vision for⁤ storytelling.

Ric Bienstock, another participant⁣ in the Spark accelerator,‍ aims to transition her​ indie banner⁤ from project-to-project financing to a more enduring model with pre-sales and new partnerships.She highlighted⁢ the desire for infrastructure to support multiple projects simultaneously.

The return ⁢of the⁤ Spark​ accelerator ⁣underscores Canada’s efforts to support underrepresented⁤ communities​ and promote racial depiction⁣ in the film‍ and⁤ TV industry. While progress has been made in gender equality, industry data indicates slower progress for Black and⁢ Indigenous women,⁣ and power dynamics remain largely male-dominated.

“We always⁤ wanted‌ to tell stories that we didn’t see⁤ in scripts. We⁢ have a certain value we wanted to place‍ on especially female ⁣characters⁤ at the center of ‌stories, and ‍we didn’t‍ see that in the scripts we read. So ‌we⁢ want to create a community and a ⁢base in ‍Vancouver for stories that are female-focused and have underrepresented voices at the center of them,” Burke ⁤said.

What’s next

The Canadian⁢ TV industry is expected⁣ to continue⁤ its focus on supporting female producers and underrepresented voices, with‌ ongoing initiatives and programs⁢ aimed ‍at achieving greater ⁢gender and racial parity.The shift towards ​global markets and​ international collaborations is also likely to continue, providing ⁣new⁤ opportunities for Canadian talent and stories.