About Kelly-Anne Riess
Kelly-Anne Riess is a Canadian writer and filmmaker.
A prolific writer, Riess has written over 3,000 articles for major newspapers, magazines and websites across Canada. And this includes the Globe and Mail and Canadian Geographic.
Chiefly, as a journalist, she covers crime, arts and entertainment, history, business, aviation, the Canadian military and the environment.
An assignment sent her to a remote village in China. And she went on a 1,600-km dog sled race called the Yukon Quest. She interviewed FBI agents in Texas. And she covered celebrities.
Her writing earned her the C. Irwin McIntosh Prize from the School of Journalism at the University of Regina in 2003.
Moreover, she also writes poetry and short stories.
Most notably, her first collection of poetry, To End a Conversation, was featured on CBC. Selections of it aired on The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor. And her poetry has appeared in a number of Canadian journals, including Descant, Grain and The Windsor Review.
As well, her short stories were anthologized in the collections Wanderlust and Writing Without Direction.
Accomplishments in filmmaking
Her documentary work has aired internationally on such networks as A&E Biography and History Television.
And she was a CTV National Fellow at the Banff World Media Festival in 2011.
For Canada’s 150th birthday, Riess was one of only four filmmakers invited to work on the Lost Stories series. Accordingly, the project explored four little known Canadian histories. And Riess’ Lost Story was about Yee Clun and the Exchange Cafe, which was shortlisted for a Golden Sheaf Award at the Yorkton Film Festival in 2018.
Furthermore, Riess was one of 15 Canadian filmmakers to receive a grant from the Telefilm Micro-Budget Production Fund for Emerging Filmmakers in 2014. Basically, this meant she received $50,000 to help make her documentary Finding Al.
This film had her following the Soo Rail Line. It took her from Moose Jaw down to Chicago, looking for evidence that connected legendary gangster Al Capone to Canada. The documentary aired nationally on CBC the following year on Absolutely Canadian.
In 2013, Riess won the MTS Stories from Home $20,000 Pitch Competition at the Gimli Film Festival. She used the money to make the documentary Artists by Night. It premiered at the same festival a year later.
A proud Saskatchewanian
Riess is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan.
She authored the bestselling Saskatchewan Book of Evertyhing. And she also wrote the popular children’s book I Love Saskatchewan.
While living in Regina, Riess was shortlisted for a Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award. She was also up for a Regina YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and a Regina Mayor’s Arts Award.
She received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Saskatchewan in 2010.
At the present time, Riess is based in Moose Jaw.
Her professional peers may prefer to be based in large urban areas, like Toronto. But Riess believes the best stories are found outside of big cities. Therefore most of her career has been spent working in Canada’s North and on the prairies. As a result, it’s there she digs up tales that wouldn’t normally reach a national audience.
Riess is always open to story pitches and freelance opportunities.
About Kelly-Anne Riess
Kelly-Anne Riess is a Canadian writer and filmmaker.
A prolific writer, Riess has written over 3,000 articles for major newspapers, magazines and websites across Canada. And this includes the Globe and Mail and Canadian Geographic.
Chiefly, as a journalist, she covers crime, arts and entertainment, history, business, aviation, the Canadian military and the environment.
An assignment sent her to a remote village in China. And she went on a 1,600-km dog sled race called the Yukon Quest. She interviewed FBI agents in Texas. And she covered celebrities.
Her writing earned her the C. Irwin McIntosh Prize from the School of Journalism at the University of Regina in 2003.
Moreover, she also writes poetry and short stories.
Most notably, her first collection of poetry, To End a Conversation, was featured on CBC. Selections of it aired on The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor. And her poetry has appeared in a number of Canadian journals, including Descant, Grain and The Windsor Review.
As well, her short stories were anthologized in the collections Wanderlust and Writing Without Direction.
Accomplishments in filmmaking
Her documentary work has aired internationally on such networks as A&E Biography and History Television.
And she was a CTV National Fellow at the Banff World Media Festival in 2011.
For Canada’s 150th birthday, Riess was one of only four filmmakers invited to work on the Lost Stories series. Accordingly, the project explored four little known Canadian histories. Riess’ Lost Story was about Yee Clun and the Exchange Cafe, which was shortlisted for a Golden Sheaf Award at the Yorkton Film Festival in 2018.
Furthermore, Riess was one of 15 Canadian filmmakers to receive a grant from the Telefilm Micro-Budget Production Fund for Emerging Filmmakers in 2014. Basically, this meant she received $50,000 to help make her documentary Finding Al. This film had her following the Soo Rail Line. It took her from Moose Jaw down to Chicago, looking for evidence that connected legendary gangster Al Capone to Canada. The documentary aired nationally on CBC the following year on Absolutely Canadian.
In 2013, Riess won the MTS Stories from Home $20,000 Pitch Competition at the Gimli Film Festival. She used the money to make the documentary Artists by Night. It premiered at the same festival a year later.
A proud Saskatchewanian
Riess is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan.
She authored the bestselling Saskatchewan Book of Evertyhing. And she also wrote the popular children’s book I Love Saskatchewan.
While living in Regina, Riess was shortlisted for a Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award. She was also up for a Regina YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and a Regina Mayor’s Arts Award.
She received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Saskatchewan in 2010.
At the present time, Riess is based in Moose Jaw.
Her professional peers may prefer to be based in large urban areas, like Toronto. But Riess believes the best stories are found outside of big cities. Therefore most of her career has been spent working in Canada’s North and on the prairies. As a result, it’s there she digs up tales that wouldn’t normally reach a national audience.
Riess is always open to story pitches and freelance opportunities.
About Kelly-Anne Riess
Kelly-Anne Riess is a Canadian writer and filmmaker.
A prolific writer, Riess has written over 3,000 articles for major newspapers, magazines and websites across Canada. And this includes the Globe and Mail and Canadian Geographic.
Chiefly, as a journalist, she covers crime, arts and entertainment, history, business, aviation, the Canadian military and the environment.
An assignment sent her to a remote village in China. And she went on a 1,600-km dog sled race called the Yukon Quest. She interviewed FBI agents in Texas. And she covered celebrities.
Her writing earned her the C. Irwin McIntosh Prize from the School of Journalism at the University of Regina in 2003.
Moreover, she also writes poetry and short stories.
Most notably, her first poetry collection, To End a Conversation, was featured on CBC. Selections of it aired on The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor. And her poetry has appeared in a number of Canadian journals, including Descant, Grain and The Windsor Review.
As well, her short stories were anthologized in the collections Wanderlust and Writing Without Direction.
Accomplishments in filmmaking
Her documentary work has aired internationally on such networks as A&E Biography and History Television.
And she was a CTV National Fellow at the Banff World Media Festival in 2011.
For Canada’s 150th birthday, Riess was one of only four filmmakers invited to work on the Lost Stories series. Accordingly, the project explored four little known Canadian histories. Riess’ Lost Story was about Yee Clun and the Exchange Cafe, which was shortlisted for a Golden Sheaf Award at the Yorkton Film Festival in 2018.
Furthermore, Riess was one of 15 Canadian filmmakers to receive a grant from the Telefilm Micro-Budget Production Fund for Emerging Filmmakers in 2014. Basically, this meant she received $50,000 to help make her documentary Finding Al. This film had her following the Soo Rail Line. It took her from Moose Jaw down to Chicago, looking for evidence that connected legendary gangster Al Capone to Canada. The documentary aired nationally on CBC the following year on Absolutely Canadian.
In 2013, Riess won the MTS Stories from Home $20,000 Pitch Competition at the Gimli Film Festival. She used the money to make the documentary Artists by Night. It premiered at the same festival a year later.
A proud Saskatchewanian
Riess is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan.
Riess authored the bestselling Saskatchewan Book of Evertyhing. And she also wrote the popular children’s book I Love Saskatchewan.
While living in Regina, Riess was shortlisted for a Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award. She was also up for a Regina YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and a Regina Mayor’s Arts Award.
And she received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Saskatchewan in 2010.
At the present time, Riess is based in Moose Jaw.
Her professional peers may prefer to be based in large urban areas, like Toronto. But Riess believes the best stories are found outside of big cities. Therefore most of her career has been spent working in Canada’s North and on the prairies. As a result, it’s there she digs up tales that wouldn’t normally reach a national audience.
Riess is always open to story pitches and freelance opportunities.