Montreal, July 22, 2019 – Just For Laughs is thrilled to finally reveal the highly anticipated 2019 collection of New Faces; the world-renowned discovery showcase that propels up-and-coming performers into the comedy stratosphere. New Faces has been an unmissable part of the Just For Laughs Festival since 1996, where the freshest comedians in the game gear up to take the microphone and change the face of comedy. With this summer’s inaugural year of New Faces: Canada presented by Netflix set to join the four staple showcases, New Faces of Comedy, New Faces: Characters, New Faces: Unrepped, and New Faces: Creators, even more comics will have their chance to break through the comedy glass ceiling.
“The New Faces showcase at Just For Laughs has catapulted the careers of so many of today’s most celebrated comedians,” shares Bruce Hills, President of Just For Laughs. “For over twenty years, we have given the most promising undiscovered talent an exclusive platform to launch their careers, which has resulted in the most impactful comedy showcase in the world”.
Just For Laughs New Faces is responsible for launching the careers of many all-star comedians, including Jimmy Fallon (1996), Gabriel Iglesias (1999), Kevin Hart (2001), Hannibal Buress (2006), Amy Schumer (2007), Chris D’Elia (2009), Jerrod Carmichael (2011), Ali Wong (2011), The Lucas Brothers (2012), Pete Davidson (2013), Michelle Wolf (2014), and more.
Anna Drezen is a writing supervisor for NBC’s Saturday Night Live, and the co-author of the books How To Win At Feminism and How Many We Hate You. The latter, which was based on Anna’s experiences working as a concierge at a hotel in Times Square, was optioned by ABC and turned into a pilot, starring Kat Dennings and directed by Will Gluck. She recently wrote for Simon Rich’s TBS series Miracle Workers starring Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi, contributed to Kate McKinnon’s Audible fantasy-comedy series Heads Will Roll and consulted on Jena Friedman’s Adult Swim special Soft Focus. Anna was the editor-at-large of REDUCTRESS and wrote for Comedy Central’s Reductress pilot starring Abby Elliott.
Brad Silnutzer is a stand up, writer, producer, actor, and host based in Los Angeles. He created, writes, produces, and stars in The Fast and the Furious: A Musical Parody at The Dynasty Typewriter Theatre in LA. Brad was a Producer for ABC’s The Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor in Paradise and is currently the lead producer for Circadian Pictures. Brad made his Netflix debut as a celebrity judge on the food competition show, Cooking on High. Brad was previously named as one of Comedy Central’s Comics to Watch and as one of Riot Fest’s comics to watch.
Brendan Scannell is an actor and comedian living in LA. He stars in Netflix’s Bonding and previously in Heathers on Paramount Network. He can be seen in the Comedy Central digital series Stand Up Featuring, and in 2018 Vulture named him a “Comedian You Should and Will Know.” Brendan hosts two popular shows in LA, “The Cure” (alongside Joel Kim Booster) and the workshop “See What Sticks.”
Chanel Ali is a standup comedian, writer, and actress living in New York City. She is the host of the Food Network digital series Food Debate! and a cast member on MTV’s Girl Code. Her observational comedy covers her upbringing, her unique worldview, and the realities of being a polite person in the entertainment industry. In 2018, Chanel was featured on the Friars Club Roast of Gloria Allred and has written for the @NetflixisaJoke social media accounts.
Dan Licata is a NYC-based comedian. He is one of the writers & co-producers of Joe Pera Talks With You on Adult Swim, and previously co-wrote Joe Pera Helps You Find the Perfect Christmas Tree. He’s performed stand-up on The Chris Gethard Show, and has made several videos for JASH.
Dewayne Perkins is a queer Chicago born and raised writer and comedian. Currently a writer on NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, his previous credits include Netflix’s The Break with Michelle Wolf and MTV’s Wild N’ Out. He’s also written for the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner, in which a joke he wrote was listed as one of The New Yorker’s “Best Jokes of 2018.” Dewayne was named one of Comedy Central’s “Up Next” comedians and a finalist for Stand-Up NBC. Dewayne is a member of the award-winning improv team 3Peat, whose Comedy Central digital short, THE BLACKENING, written by Dewayne, went viral with more than 15 million views.
Hannah Einbinder participated in 2019’s San Francisco Sketchfest, has been published in Flaunt Magazine, and was named in The Comedy Bureau’s “100 Best Things We Were Witness To in No Particular Order of 2018.” Einbinder performs regularly at clubs and theaters around the country.
Jay Jurden is a rising New York City based comedian originally from Mississippi. He has been featured as a finalist for Stand-Up NBC and a panelist for MTV News. Most recently he appeared in the 2019 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and was picked as one of Time Out New York’s 2019 “Comedians To Watch”. This fall he continues his college comedy tour across the country.
Joe Praino is a comedian, actor and podcast host of two successful podcasts: The Joe Priano Podcast and Dirty Sports (with Andy Ruther), which showcases his immense depth of sports knowledge. He has interviewed the likes of writer/director David Zuker, NFL star Shawn Merriman, celebrity personal trainer Duffy Gaver and NBA start Brian Scalabrine, and he performs at several clubs across the country including Gotham Comedy Club, The Stand, The Laugh Factory, Comedy Bar, The Improv, Flappers and the Westside Comedy Theater.
Kevin Iso began performing stand up all across Texas before moving to New York where he has been honing his skills. Kevin has performed at the Montreux Comedy Festival in Switzerland, the Funny or Die Oddball Festival, and Bridgetown Comedy Festival. After being named one of Comedy Central’s Comics To Watch in 2015, Kevin’s stand up was featured on AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live, Comedy Central’s Adam Devine’s House Party. On top of performing stand up, Kevin is the co-creator of the hit web series, Flatbush Misdemeanors.
Logan Guntzelman is a Los Angeles-based comedian. She performs in clubs and rooms all over the country, and has been selected to perform in the New York Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, 10,000 Laughs Minneapolis, Echo Park Rising, CROMFest Denver, and the Chicago Comedy Expo. She’s also currently undefeated in the World-Famous Comedy Store’s Roast Battle and was a finalist in the Westside Comedy Theater’s Comedy Showdown.
Matty Ryan has been performing stand-up around the country for years. In 2016 he made his feature film debut with a role in Who Gets the Dog (nominated for Best Actor in the 2016 Midwest Independent Film Festival). Also in 2016, he recorded a standup set for MTV’s Acting Out. In 2017 he had a guest star role on NBC’s Chicago Justice, and was invited to perform at NBC Universal/Second City’s “Breakout Fest.” In 2019 he taped a set for Comedy Central’s Stand Up Featuring, which is currently streaming on their digital platforms.
Opey Olagbaju is a Nigerian-American standup comedian and writer that is currently writing on the Kenya Barris produced Unrelated for Freeform. Previously, he worked on I Love You America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu) as well as The New Negroes (Comedy Central). As a standup, the D.C.-area native performs across the city and has successfully showcased in several festivals, such as District of Comedy (DC), Bridgetown Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, and the World Series of Comedy.
Punkie Johnson is a Los Angeles-based comedian from New Orleans. Starting her career as an emcee, Punkie is now a paid regular and favourite at The World-Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood where she is known as one of the most fearless, ruthless, and rawest, forces on the scene. Recent credits include Comedy Central’s Corporate, Tru TV’s Adam Ruins Everything, Amazon’s Please Understand Me and more. She will appear opposite Jimmy O. Yang and Bill Burr in the upcoming film The Opening Act, and HBO’s The Black Lady Sketch Show.
Reggie Conquest is from Philadelphia where he started his comedy career at the legendary Laff House. Since moving to New York City, Reggie has performed on FuseTV’s Stand Up and Deliver and written for TruTV’s Impractical Jokers. His stand-up has been featured at Brooklyn Comedy Festival, Skankfest, Hoboken Comedy Festival and Philadelphia Comedy Festival.
Shane Gillis is a stand-up comic based out of New York City. He was named an “Up-Next” Comic at Comedy Central’s 2019 Clusterfest in San Francisco. In 2016 he was the winner of Philly’s Funniest at Helium Comedy Club. Shane is a regular on SiriusXM and Comedy Central Radio’s The Bonfire. He’s also one half of A Fair One on Compound Media as well as Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast. Shane has written for Comedy Central’s Delco Proper and starred in and wrote for the Dweck Show, Tires Etc, and New Muscle.
Shapel Lacey is an American comedian born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. Shapel was cheerleading competitively for University of Louisville when someone dared him to take the stage as a comedian and he never looked back, dropping out shortly thereafter to pursue a career in stand up full time. Diligence and the desire to grow led him from the Phoenix open mic circuit onto main stages where he regularly performed for comedians such as Bill Burr, Chris D’Elia, Hannibal Buress, Bryan Callen, Frank Caliendo, and now regularly in Los Angeles, California.
Tacarra Williams hails from the Bronx, NY. She has hit major stand-up stages in New York and Hollywood including Caroline’s on Broadway, Broadway Comedy Club, The Apollo Theatre, Hollywood Improv, The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory. She also has her on 30min special on Comedy Central.
Tien Tran is a former member of The Second City’s 106th Mainstage revue, Dream Freaks Fall From Space, and recently performed in the 2019 CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase. A graduate of Boston College and a 2016 Second City Bob Curry Fellow, Tien was previously in The Second City’s 41st etc revue, Fantastic Super Great Nation Numero Uno. Her stand up was featured at the Second City NBC Universal Break Out Comedy Festival and SCOUT Festival, and she currently performs all around Los Angeles. Tien is one of the co-hosts of the Crooked Media podcast Hysteria.
Tyree Elaine is a comedienne, writer and actress from Los Angeles. She recently wrapped the writers room on ABC’s The Conners. A semifinalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Tyree has also been seen on Black Jesus (Adult Swim), Laff Tracks (TruTV), 50 Central (BET), Showtime at the Apollo (FOX), Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes? (TV One), The Xperiment (BET) and Laff Mobb’s We Got Next (Aspire). Tyree recently created and starred in a digital anthology video series called Women Over 30 Be Like, which was written about by The New York Times.
