Toronto prodco Brightlight Pictures and L.A.-based development/financing company Essential Pictures have announced plans to form a joint venture, EBTV, under which to produce and distribute television projects for the North American and international markets. The new partners will have offices in Toronto, Los Angeles and London.

‘EBTV is a proactive response to an increasingly complicated international marketplace,’ said Stephen Hegyes, principal and producer at Brightlight Pictures in a statement. ‘It provides us with further opportunities to utilize and export Canada’s deep talent pool of writers, directors and actors.’

Two television series are currently in development for TMN and Movie Central under the EBTV banner, one of which is in collaboration with Scott Free.

The first personnel announcement from the new entity was the appointment of Diane Boehme as EVP of Television. Boehme served as director of original production for Astral Television, as well as senior director of independent production at CHUM Television. She has credits on WGC Award-winner Across the River to Motor City; ACTRA Award-winner Terminal City; the multiple award winner Less Than Kind, and several other notable credits.

Boehme will be based in Toronto and will initially focus on building EBTV’s roster of projects.