Montreal, PQ [April 18, 2017] — The over-the-top comedy streaming service Laugh Out Loud (LOL) and the Just For Laughs Festival, presented by Videotron in association with Loto-Québec, have joined forces in search of the funniest short films in the U.S. and Canada with Laugh Out Loud Presents: Just For Laughs Eat My Shorts, an initiative bringing together the world’s biggest comedy star and the world’s biggest comedy festival. Laugh Out Loud, an OTT partnership between Kevin Hart and global content leader Lionsgate, launches this summer.
Starting today, filmmakers are invited to review the submission guidelines at http://comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions/ and then follow the instructions to submit their work. The deadline is May 13, 2017.
Twenty films will be selected by a team of Just For Laughs and LOL programming experts to stream on the LOL website and app when it launches this summer. LOL fans will then have the chance to vote for their favorites. The top five films selected will be screened at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal on Thursday, July 27, 2017, where Hart will personally announce the winner. The winning individual or team will receive a development deal to direct a new short film that will air exclusively on LOL.
Kevin Hart, CEO of Laugh Out Loud commented, “I want to create a stage for the next generation of comedic storytellers. I’m excited about partnering with Just for Laughs to find talented filmmakers and give them a platform on LOL.”
Bruce Hills, CEO at Just For Laughs, added, “Kevin is a generous supporter of young, diverse and creative talent. We are thrilled to partner with Kevin, Jeff Clanagan and LOL to introduce the funniest short films to a new generation of viewers and festival attendees.”
Films submitted must speak to a diverse, multicultural, millennial audience and be no less than 3 nor more than 22 minutes in length (including credits). All types of comedic genres will be accepted — from mockumentaries to romantic comedies. All languages will be accepted but subtitles must be in English. For full submission details and guidelines visit: http://comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions/.
Kevin Hart is one of comedy’s biggest stars with a celebrated and award-winning career that has seen the talented entertainer become one of the industry’s most important and influential voices. He has a long association with Just For Laughs, which he credits with helping launch his career. Hart has been a regular at the Just For Laughs Festival since debuting at “New Faces” in 2001. In 2016, Hart teamed with Just For Laughs to present Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Network Pitch Panel. He astounded everyone at the pitch panel when he optioned all 10 pilot ideas for the Laugh Out Loud Network. Hart will be appearing in two upcoming feature films: Jumanji and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.
Just For Laughs ComedyPRO runs from July 26 – 29, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Montreal, part of the 35th annual Just for Laughs Festival, which takes place from July 12 – 31st, 2017.
