Laurie Townshend

Laurie Townshend is a Toronto-based filmmaker, writer and educator. Raised by a Jamaican mother—the family’s eloquent griot—Laurie learned early on that before we shape stories, stories shape us. Her films centre on the human capacity to transform small acts of courage into quiet revolutions, as seen in the dramatic short The Railpath Hero (2013, TIFF Black Star Festival, starring Stephan James), the unscripted series Human Frequency Streetdocs (2014) and the award-winning short doc Charley (2016). Laurie's upcoming feature documentary, A Mother Apart (2024), explores identity, motherhood, and forgiveness through the journey of Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin. As Staceyann pursues her elusive mother across Montreal, Brooklyn, Cologne, and Jamaica, she and her daughter craft a new sense of home, offering a poignant narrative of healing and reconciliation. Laurie's storytelling delves deep into the human experience, emphasizing the resilience found in embracing vulnerability and the strength in forging connections.