Montreal, PQ [May 5, 2015] – The 33rd edition of the Just For Laughs Festival, presented by Videotron in association with Loto-Québec, is back and bigger than ever! With more names and shows still to come, this year’s festival will be adding 35% more tickets to our inventory and additional venues, including the Bell Centre, which will host JFL’s largest individual indoor show ever. Just For Laughs is excited to bring a myriad range of superstars, who have a combined Twitter following of 60 million, into Montreal for the busiest, buzziest summer ever!
JFL AWARDS SHOW
The Just for Laughs Awards Show is back, on July 24 at 4:30 pm in the Grand Salon Opera at the Hyatt Regency Montreal honouring some of the world’s most impactful comedy stars! Past winners include Andy Samberg, Seth Rogen and Louis C.K. This year’s winners are…
Lifetime Achievement Award: We are incredibly honoured to present this award to one of our national treasures, Mike Myers, in recognition of his unbelievable success and continued accomplishments in the comedy world. SCHWING!!!
Generation Award: Just For Laughs is proud to present its first-ever GENERATION AWARD to Dave Chappelle. A modern icon, Chappelle has performed some of the most ground-breaking and influential stand-up shows of his era, and has influenced a whole new generation of comedy. #HellofaComedian
Comedy Person of the Year: #ComedicRockstar Kevin Hart has taken over Hollywood, and Netflix, with roles in Get Hard, Wedding Ringer, Think Like a Man Too, Grudge Match and About Last Night, as well as producing and starring credits in BET’s satirical comedy show The Real Husbands of Hollywood. This year also sees Kevin embarking on what is on track to be the biggest comedy tour ever! #EasyChoice
Stand-up Comedian of the Year: In the past year alone, Patton Oswalt released a Grammy-nominated comedy album, Tragedy plus Comedy Equals Time, joined the cast of Veep, and had a seven episode arc on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The white knight of Twitter, defender of all things good and comedy, Oswalt has been charming viewers on both big and small screens for the past 20 years.
Comedy Writer of the Year: Creator and showrunner of one of television’s smartest shows, Oscar winner Armando Iannucci wins this award for his brilliant (and four-time Emmy award–winning) work on Veep.
Breakout Comedy Star of the Year: Ellie Kemper’s been on the scene for a while with roles in The Office and Bridesmaids, but her performance as the most likeable kidnapping victim ever on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has pushed her into the spotlight, and into our hearts.
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS LEADS THE VIDEOTRON JUST FOR LAUGHS GALAS PRESENTED BY AIR CANADA
Neil Patrick Harris, who has hosted 10 televised awards shows in the past few years, is truly the king of hosts. Neil has some tricks up his sleeve as he headlines our unparalleled festival-closing Galas. Feel like a member of the Hollywood/Broadway elite as the host of The Oscars, The Emmys and The Tonys plays ringleader to a score of special guests for a variety show that is going to razzle, dazzle and surprise in a way that only he can!
Heir to The Daily Show, Trevor Noah hosts a Gala July 23 on the Place des Arts stage. This is your chance to see comedy’s hottest new host.
Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG award winner Jane Lynch, of Glee and The 40-Year-Old Virgin fame, is hosting a Gala that is sure to wow at Place des Arts on July 22.
These are just the tip of the iceberg – we’ll be announcing even more galas leading up to the Festival!
YEAH BABY!!! MIKE MYERS COMES TO JFL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
One of Canada’s greatest exports, Mike Myers, comes home to make his Just For Laughs Festival debut on July 24 at Maison Symphonique with An Evening with Mike Myers. This “in conversation” will showcase his memorable career, from his humble Canadian comedic roots, to his turn as one of the most successful SNL alums in its 40-year history, to becoming one of comedy’s biggest and most memorable movie stars.
THE MAN, THE LEGEND, DAVE CHAPPELLE IS HEADED TO THEATRE MAISONNEUVE
Comedy god Dave Chappelle and Just For Laughs ticket-selling record holder is back in Montreal for six performances and we couldn’t be more excited. His shows sold out within minutes when he returned to Just For Laughs in 2013 after 13 years, so if you missed it, here’s your chance! F*ck yo’ couch, and don’t miss another chance to see a living legend.
KEVIN HART WILL BE BREAKING HEARTS AND RECORDS THIS SUMMER!
The rock star of the comedy world is performing what is on track to be the biggest individual indoor show in the Festival’s history on July 24. The show is poised to sell out the Bell Centre, and has already surpassed 10,000 tickets sold. Kevin Hart’s career has exploded since his first appearance at the Just For Laughs Festival in 2001 as part of the New Faces series. He has blossomed into bona fide comedy royalty.
A FREE OUTDOOR SHOW IN ENGLISH – AND IT’S STARRING “WEIRD AL”!
He’s white and nerdy; he’s the winner of the 2015 Grammy for “Best Comedy Album,” and now “Weird Al” Yankovic in taking a break from his “The Mandatory Tour” to perform a FREE outdoor English show on July 21.
THESE SOLO SHOWS ARE NOT TO BE MISSED!
Just For Laughs Stand-up Comedian of the Year in 2014, Bill Burr is back for two solo performances this year, on July 22 and 23 at Olympia Theatre.
This year has already seen Patton Oswalt get a Grammy nomination and an arc on TV’s smartest show, Veep, and now festival goers can see this staple of great TV and movies performing his first love, stand-up, on July 23.
On the heels of his successful Showtime comedy special “Aren’t You Embarrassed?” Just For Laughs Festival favourite Sebastian Maniscalco returns to Le Gesù with an 11-show run starting July 20. Aren’t you embarrassed about how excited you are?
Le Gesù will also host world renowned musician and comedian Reggie Watts for two midnight shows on July 24 and 25.
Three-time Grammy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Margaret Cho returns to Montreal for one night only at Olympia Theatre on July 24.
On July 25, festival favourite and the funniest Scot around, Danny Bhoy performs a solo show at Maison Symphonique.
Comedy’s very own host with most, Chris Hardwick, takes time off his shows @Midnight and The Talking Dead and his podcast The Nerdist, to perform a solo show on July 25 at Olympia Theatre.
Maison Theatre plays host to Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider on July 24 and 25, if you’re thinking about attending… you can do it!
Another Just For Laughs fave, Omid Djalili, returns to Maison Theatre July 24 and 25 to regale audiences with his experience as a Persian entertainer in the West.
Hot off the Justin Bieber roast, frequent Chelsea Lately panelist Natasha Leggero will perform will perform July 22 and 23 at L’Astral. Fingers crossed she’s gentler with the crowd there than she was with the Biebs!
L’Astral hosts UK superstar Sarah Millican on July 24 for a night of dry British humour, and You Made it Weird host Pete Holmes is in the house for a solo show on July 25.
DON’T MISS TALK OF THE FEST!
Talk of the Fest is the place to be from July 22 through 25, offering the hottest names in comedy at the lowest prices.
Star of the critically acclaimed Silicon Valley, T.J. Miller is back for the second year in a row to host Talk of the Fest on July 22.
On July 23, star of his own Netflix special Incorrigible and NBC’s Undateable, comedy bad boy Chris D’Elia, most recently seen roasting his biggest fan, Justin Bieber, reminds Club Soda audiences why they love him with his hilarious physicality and observational comedy.
Saturday Night Live’s only millennial, Pete Davidson, is following up his scathing roast of Justin Bieber by hosting Talk of the Fest on July 24.
He has an HBO special directed by Spike Lee, a Seth Rogen movie under his belt, an NBC pilot in development, and this year Jerrod Carmichael is adding Talk of the Fest host to his ever-growing résumé. Don’t miss your chance to be able to say: “I saw him when…” at Club Soda on July 25.
GET THE INSIDER EXPERIENCE!
ComedyPRO, the unique global gathering of the biggest players in the comedy world, takes Just For Laughs by storm for the eighth year in a row, from July 22 to 25. This year, a bunch of really cool stars and comedians will join Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air) for Live Read, Directed by Jason Reitman, presented by the Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange in the 5e Salle at Place des Arts. The value is unbeatable.
Just For Laughs ComedyPRO also welcomes Andy Kindler back to deliver his annual State of the Industry Address. Notoriously biting, Andy Kindler’s speech is many insiders’ favourite part of the festival.
Just For Laughs ComedyPRO includes the Podcast Series, which lets fans sit in on a live taping of their favourite comedy podcasts including: Your Mom’s House Podcast, I Seem Fun; The Diary of Jen Kirkman Podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour, You Made It Weird With Pete Holmes, Pep Talks with the Bitter Buddha, The Dana Gould Hour, The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast with Stuart Goldsmith, Hound Tall with Moshe Kasher, and The Artie Quitter Podcast.
Included in ComedyPRO are keynotes, panels, networking cocktails, podcasts, the Just For Laughs Awards, and the All-Star Midnight Party. For diehard comedy fans, there is no better place to be. For real. Seriously.
Just For Laughs ComedyPRO runs from July 22 – 25, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Montreal.
Early Bird prices are now in effect for industry members (you know who you are) until May 8, 2015 at the ComedyPRO website.
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!
The Off-JFL series is a budgeters dream: the tickets start at only $20 and the venues are the cool kind, with cheap beer. We have tons of great performers including:
Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show), Hasan Minhaj (The Daily Show), Colin Jost (Saturday Night Live), Janeane Garofalo (Reality Bites), Ari Shaffir (Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening), Harland Williams (Half Baked), Tom Segura (Your Mom’s House podcast), Jen Kirkman (Chelsea Lately), Duncan Trussell (The Joe Rogan Experience), Chris Gethard (Broad City), Eric Andre (Man Seeking Woman), Andy Kindler (Everybody Loves Raymond), Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Program), Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) Eddie Pepitone (Last Comic Standing), Jake and Amir (CollegeHumor), Sabrina Jalees (The Nightly Show), Kurt Braunohler (Drunk History), Moshe Kasher (John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show), Joel Creasey (It’s a Date) and Kyle Kinane (Drunk History)
And in case you miss them on Date Night, Tom Papa, Brent Morin and Orny Adams are performing solo shows.
Off-JFL also presents a ton of new concept, multi-comic shows including The Goddamn Comedy Jam with Josh Adam Meyers, and Ari Shaffir is back again hosting his festival favourite This Is Not Happening storytelling show at Café Cléopâtre. Curating a multi-comic show and a closing night party, Instagram favourite @fuckjerry will partner with Off-JFL from July 22 to July 25 as the first-ever festival Instagrambassador.
The ever-popular Midnight Surprise, presented by Comedy Dynamics, is back for a ten-show run from July 16 to 25, and as the show’s name suggests, the lineup will floor you!
JUST FOR LAUGHS’ CLUB SHOWS ARE BACK WITH A VENGEANCE!
Alonzo Bodden hosts The Ethnic Show from July 8 to 19 at Club Soda, where comics of all ethnicities, including Gina Yashere, Ahmed Ahmed, Frank Spadone, Ronny Chieng, Dan Naturman and Montreal’s own Rachid Badouri, will leave the audience in stitches.
The Nasty Show, hosted for the first time by “the Celine Dion of dick jokes,” Mike Ward, will be nastier than ever from July 16-18 and 23-25 at Metropolis, with special guests Gilbert Gottfried, Jimmy Carr, Mike Wilmot and Tiffany Haddish. We’re also announcing a new guest: Artie Lange!
Curb Your Enthusiasm’s J.B. Smoove is reconnecting with his Def Jam roots to host Uptown Comics at Olympia Theatre July 25, featuring Ian Edwards and Rod Man.
Brit(ish), with special guest Russell Howard, returns with the best of the Commonwealth’s comedians and for three shows hosted by Omid Djalili at L’Astral, July 21-23.
The Marriage Ref host Tom Papa joins forces with The Undateable’s Brent Morin, Teen Wolf’s Orny Adams and Debra DiGiovanni for Date Night at Metropolis July 21 and 22.
