Actors-turned-creators Jovanna Burke (Supernatural) and Chelsea Hobbs (Lords of Dogtown) have partnered to launch Grand Boulevard Entertainment, a Vancouver-based production company with a mission to amplify under-represented voices in film and television.
Burke and Hobbs officially launched their new venture at the Banff World Media Festival, where the duo took projects in development and pre-production to the market, including Puck Bunnies, a mockumentary about hockey moms, and The Sandwich Generation, a comedy about parenting.
“As a woman of Hispanic descent and as a woman period, my personal experiences navigating an industry with limited roles for women like herself fuels our mission at Grand Boulevard to create authentic, diverse stories both in front of and behind the camera and make opportunities for other women creatives like ourselves,” said Burke, in a company announcement.
“This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for us, with this launch we are deepening our commitment to bold, inclusive storytelling through our work. The power of presence, authenticity, and building spaces—both literal and metaphorical—where all stories belong is key to our mission,” added Hobbs.
The first project under the partnership is the Creative Sisterhood Podcast, set to launch this summer, spotlighting female creatives forging their own paths in film and television. A yet-to-be announced series will also head to camera this summer, as well as a scripted comedy, procedural drama and a scripted series for teens in active development. Their short film Palindrome is currently on the festival circuit and screened at the Inside Out LGBTQ film festival in May.
In addition to her acting work on The Flash and Supernatural, Burke has been branching out as a producer over the past decade, including co-creating the Canadian Screen Award-nominated web series The True Heroines. Her short film JANE screened at more than 30 festivals worldwide and she has produced multiple feature films including Parallel, and A Brother’s Bond.
Hobbs started her acting career at the age of seven, including her breakout role in fantasy adventure film, Snow Queen, and as Emily Kmetko in ABC Family drama Make It or Break It. Based in Vancouver, she continues to act in Hallmark projects like the Martha’s Vineyard Mystery movie series, while also developing original TV projects.
