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Kelly Townsend

Kelly Townsend is the editor at Playback, with previous experience in B2B and entertainment journalism. Before joining the Playback team in 2018, she worked in the editorial, marketing and communication departments at B2B publisher Dovetail Communications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from York University and is a graduate of Humber College’s journalism program. Her byline has appeared in IndieWire and she spent several years covering Canadian TV as associate editor of The TV Junkies.

Posts by Kelly Townsend

No hope of saving Anne with an E, creator confirms

Creator and showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett announced via Instagram there is “no way to revive” the series after an outpouring of fan demand to #renewannewithane.

December 9, 2019

NFB restructures its Creation and Innovation division, cuts five jobs

The organization will bring its digital and interactive studios under its English and French program umbrella to “establish a national vision” for its programming.

December 9, 2019

Deals: Blue Ant, Mongrel Media, Anaid, CBC, Media Ranch

Blue Ant International ramps up its sales in Asia, Mongrel has its first theatrical release of a BritBox original, Media Ranch secures format deals across Europe, and more.

December 6, 2019

Falling to premiere on Sundance closing night

The Canada/U.K. copro, directed by Viggo Mortensen and produced by Scythia Films, joins Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor and four other Canadian productions making their world premiere.

December 5, 2019

Shore, Trebek among Canadian Academy’s 2020 honourees

Schitt’s Creek co-creator Dan Levy, activist David Suzuki, writer Nathalie Younglai and actor Tina Keeper also join the list of Canadians to be honoured on Canadian Screen Week.

December 4, 2019

Canadian-produced film marks English debut for Iranian director

Isthmus, now in production in Toronto, is produced by newly launched Canadian shingle Blue Footlights and U.S. prodco Tall Brit Productions.

December 4, 2019

PNP rounds out its Toronto office

Former Sony Pictures exec Marisa Friesen has joined the company as director of theatrical and digital sales, while PNP announces two new acquisitions from TIFF.

December 3, 2019

Anne with an E to end with season three

Creator Moira Walley-Beckett announced the cancellation on Monday morning, which CBC and Netflix confirmed in a joint statement.

November 25, 2019

Deals: Babe Nation, We’ll Be Over Here, Highball.TV, Bell Media

Three Canadian features land new U.S. and worldwide distribution deals while Bell Media kicks off an extended partnership with the CFL for its sports channels.

November 25, 2019

Reem Morsi makes feature debut with Hysteria

Hysteria, which wraps production this week, is one of the films selected from Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program in 2018.

November 22, 2019

Netflix launches a new Vikings epic with Michael Hirst, Jeb Stuart

The spinoff will not be a Canadian coproduction, but Toronto’s Take 5 Productions will be attached to handle post-production.

November 20, 2019

Jann Arden gets candid with new CTV special

The JANN star and co-creator will be featured in Jann Arden One Night Only, airing on CTV on Dec. 4 before heading to Crave.

November 20, 2019