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IFC PICKS UP SOFTBALL COMEDY "SLO PITCH"

First Season of LGBTQ+ Series Set to Debut on IFC.com Later this Year

NEW YORK - June 29, 2021 - IFC announced today the pickup of the first two seasons of the digital comedy short-form series Slo Pitch, with season one premiering on IFC later this year. Produced by Shaftsbury, Slo Pitch is a mockumentary-style series following the comedic misadventures of the overly invested Coach Joanne and her queer softball team, The Brovaries. Season two will shoot this summer in the baseball fields and parks in and around Toronto. Heralded as "wonderfully whimsical" (The Globe and Mail) and "... a hit right off the bat" (Toronto Sun), Slo Pitch stars Kirsten Rasmussen (Band Ladies, Second City), Gwenlyn Cumyn (BARBELLE), Karen Knox (BARBELLE), Lane Webber (Gay Mean Girls), Kaitlin Alexander (Carmilla), Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah (Sugar Daddy), Amanda Cordner (Baroness Von Sketch), and Chelsea Muirhead (From The Vaults).

Each season consists of 10 10-minute episodes with season one following the underdog Brovaries team as they battle their way to the championship game in their highly competitive beer league. Season two will see the team continue their fight towards the championship title, as Joanne and teammate Sasha also plan their upcoming wedding.

"Slo Pitch is an offbeat comedy that spotlights a memorable group of women with championships and beer on their mind. This women's softball team embraces and celebrates every dimension of the LGBTQ+ experience except winning," said Blake Callaway, GM of IFC. "It's especially great timing for us to pick up this series during Pride month, as we continue to seek fresh, unexpected creative voices, to feature on IFC."

Slo Pitch is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Karen Knox, Gwenlyn Cumyn and Michael Schram, and produced by Paige Haight. The series is directed by J Stevens, award-winning director of Soft Spot and cinematographer of the feature film, Hazy Little Thing, which made its world premiere at the 2020 Canadian Film Festival (in collaboration with SuperChannel), as well as the short film Pros & Cons (Official Selection of Telefilm's Cannes 2020 Not Short on Talent program), and the forthcoming Body So Fluorescent, which won the OutACTRAto x Inside Out LGBT Film Festival "Queer Your Stories" Short Film Competition.

ABOUT IFC

IFC is the home of offbeat, unexpected comedies. Acclaimed series Documentary Now!, Brockmire, Sherman's Showcase Baroness von Sketch Show, and Year of the Rabbit air alongside fan-favorite movies and comedic cult TV shows. IFC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc., and available across multiple platforms. IFC is Always On, Slightly Off.

ABOUT SHAFTESBURY

Shaftesbury is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film, and digital. Shaftesbury's current slate includes 14 seasons of Murdoch Mysteries for CBC, Acorn TV, and UKTV, four seasons of critically acclaimed horror series Slasher, four seasons of Hudson & Rex for Citytv/Rogers Sports and Media, and two seasons of Departure for Global/Corus Entertainment, starring Emmy(R) Award-winner Archie Panjabi and the late Academy Award(R)-winner Christopher Plummer. www.shaftesbury.ca