Laurie Townshend

Writer, director, educator, and erratic blogger, Laurie Townshend credits her mantra, “You have as many hours in a day as Beyoncé” for her ability to make films that matter while successfully lobbying her 8th graders for “Coolest Teacher” nods.

With a thematic lens aimed squarely on acts of courage made visible through crisis, The Railpath Hero (2013) features a spellbinding performance by TIFF Rising Star, Stephan James, in a story about the threads of resilience that hold a young athlete's life together in the wake of childhood sexual abuse. Laurie’s take on human connectedness is explored online in documentary series, Human Frequency Streetdocs. (2014). Award-winning Charley (2015) connects the work of late civil rights activist Charles Roach to today’s Black Lives Matter movement. Currently, she’s in early pre-development with the NFB on Mothering in the Movement - an intimate look at the art of mothering in times of resistance.