Just For Laughs Festival is to present the first-ever digital Just For Laughs Festival on October 9 & 10, 2020. The festival will be free to view and will feature In Conversations, discussions, panels, films and more
The Festival will have multiple virtual comedy rooms that will be running simultaneously, starting at Friday at 5:15pm EDT/ 2:15pm PDT and Saturday at 6pm EST / 3pm PDT, allowing fans to do what they love to do best and digitally club-hop from room-to-room. Featuring original comedy content, each show will remain on the website via video on demand until Sunday, October 11 at 11:59pm EDT. This will optimize all comedy fans’ experiences, allowing them to catch performances from all of their favourite artists.
“Through Laugh Out Loud and JFL’s shared mission of keeping the world laughing together, we will be deepening our relationship tied to that core focus. We’re thrilled to announce the line-up of robust LOL at JFL programming that will engage consumers, fans and the global business community alike around the shared value of laughter, specifically through Comedy In Color.” says EVP and GM of Laugh Out Loud, Thai Randolph
The inaugural festival kicks-off with Kevin Hart, founder/CEO of Laugh Out Loud and award-winning filmmaker and comedian Judd Apatow sitting down for a special 1:1 conversation presented by JFL and LOL, where the two luminaries will discuss all things comedy, and the creative process behind growing a comedic empire. All comedy rooms will simultaneously run this never-before-seen conversation between two of comedy’s most influential artists in the industry today. This event will take place on October 9, 2020 from 5:15pm-6:00pm EDT.
In addition, JFL has announced more of this year’s line-up. Highlights include:
Conversations with Funny People featuring Chelsea Handler, presented by HBO Max:
In this edition of Conversations with Funny People, comedian Chelsea Handler takes to the virtual stage for a live, unscripted and never-before seen conversation. Regarded as one of the most successful figures in entertainment today, Chelsea Handler and her talk shows, best-selling books, and stand-up comedy have attracted millions of fans worldwide. Handler has been honored by TIME magazine as one of its annual “TIME 100”; Glamour magazine as one of its 2011 Women of the Year; and the Human Rights Campaign, which gave her its Ally for Equality Award in 2009. Handler’s first stand-up special in over six years will launch on HBO Max this October. In the special, Handler will share her hilarious experiences about her family, friendships, and her first foray into therapy—where she was able to unearth why everyone on this planet annoyed her so much.
This event will take place on October 10, 2020 from 9:00pm-10:00pm EDT.
BREAKING IN - Writer/Director Steve Byrne moderates the cast from his new film
THE OPENING ACT: Steve Byrne, writer and director of the upcoming comedy THE OPENING ACT gets together with some of the film's cast and comedians Cedric the Entertainer, Jimmy O Yang, Anjelah Johnson and Roy Wood Jr., to share tales of bombing and other war stories while trying to break in as a standup comedian.
This event will take place on October 10, 2020 from 6:30pm-7:30pm EDT.
Conversations With Funny People - Jimmy Carr & Noel Fielding:
In this edition of Conversations with Funny People, comedians Jimmy Carr and Noel Fielding take to the virtual stage for a live, unscripted and never-before seen conversation. Jimmy Carr is an award-winning comedian, writer and television host and one of the biggest selling live acts in UK comedy, consistently performing to sell-out crowds across the country and around the world. Noel Fielding is a comedy performer and writer behind the multi-award winning series The Mighty Boosh alongside Julian Barratt and an accomplished stand-up comedian performing shows all over the world.
This event will take place on October 10, 2020 from 6:00pm-7:00pm EDT.
Conversations With Funny People - Ronny Chieng:
In this edition of Conversations with Funny People, comedian Ronny Chieng takes to the virtual stage for a live, unscripted and never-before seen conversation. Ronny Chieng is a stand-up comedian, actor and Correspondent on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He was also one of the stars of the worldwide hit movie Crazy Rich Asians and has appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and in the New York Times, and GQ. Ronny co-wrote and starred in his own sitcom Ronny Chieng: International Student which is currently airing on Comedy Central and Netflix. In December 2019 Ronny released his debut smash hit Netflix Stand Up Comedy Special Asian Comedian Destroys America.
This event will take place on October 9, 2020 from 7:00pm-8:00pm EDT.
Moderated Keynote with Gina Yashere:
Comedian, producer, writer, actor and social commentator Gina Yashere is one of the most influential comedic voices on television, and on the comedy circuit today. For this exact reason, Just For Laughs could not be more honoured to have her deliver a moderated keynote address for JFL's inaugural virtual festival. Yashere is currently filming the second season of CBS' hit sitcom, Bob Hearts Abishola, a series she co-created, co-writes, produces and stars in. She can be frequently seen giving her input on topical issues as The Daily Show with Trevor Noah's British correspondent. A real comedy mastermind, Yashere self-produced 3 separate stand-up specials, two of which are currently streaming on Netflix. Her latest special, part of Netflix's second season of The Stand-Ups, has been garnering rave reviews since its initial release. Yashere is no stranger to stand-up stages, having performed at many of the world's most prestigious comedy festivals and theatres, selling out performances across the globe. This keynote is her chance to speak out passionately and politically, sure to entertain us all.
The hysterically funny comedian, actress and writer, Wanda Sykes will moderate this event taking place on October 9, 2020 from 6:00pm-6:30pm EDT.
Comedy Sessions with Howie Mandel:
Howie Mandel takes to the virtual stage for an exclusive show with some very special guests. “Comedy Sessions” is a raw, hilarious, and timely digital series where Howie Mandel steps into the role of armchair psychologist and talks to some of America's funniest voices about how they turned past and present life circumstances and tragedy into comedy gold. There’s a common thread between our greatest comedians: they've used humor to overcome adversity, especially in the current world we are all living in right now! Howie will talk to comics from the comfort of their own homes about past experiences, their current situation, and how they are coping with this new normal.
This event will take place on October 10, 2020 from 7:30pm-8:30pm EDT.
Straight from the Hart: A filmed version of Kevin Hart and the Plastic Cup Boyz’ hit SiriusXM Laugh Out Loud Radio show Straight From The Hart will feature the successful comedians, actors and writers who have performed all over the world with Hart as his longtime opening act. The Plastic Cup Boyz bring over a decade of experience to the stand-up scene as they and Kevin grace JFL with their high-spirited, resonant brand of comedy.
This event will take place on October 10, 2020 from 6:00pm-8:00pm EDT.
Funny Business: A Filmed Podcast from Advertising Week and Laugh Out Loud: Jokes aren't just laughing matters. Comedy can be serious business opportunities for all involved. From comedians building business empires, to advertisers turning to comedy for branded content, jokes can generate laughs and cash. In the weekly FUNNY BUSINESS podcast our hosts - executives from Laugh Out Loud and Advertising Week - take a deep dive into the business of comedy by exploring different people, brands, topics and campaigns that bring the revenue and the funny.
This event will take place on October 10, 2020 from 8:00pm-9:00pm EDT.
These new lineup additions are joining the company of the previously announced roster, revealing show details and pairings featuring Hannah Gadsby, Jo Koy, Howie Mandel, Kenya Barris, Sarah Cooper, Amber Ruffin, Tituss Burgess, Nicole Byer, Trixie Mattel, DeAnne Smith, Jenny Hagel, and Andy Kindler, as well as Crave’s Canada’s Drag Race, CBS All Access’ Tooning Out The News, Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch and the coveted JFL showcase, New Faces: Creators.
More details and full line-ups here: www.hahaha.com/en/2020festival
