by While falling short of announcing a full slate of in-person performances for the summer, the folks at Just For Laughs in Montreal did commit themselves today to bringing the comedy industry back together this July in some form or fashion.
JFL announced its 39th bash in Montreal will take place July 15-31, 2021. The annual industry conference, named JFL ComedyPro, will take place virtually online from July 28-31. From the festival press release:
In the coming months, the festival will determine the scope and nature of the live and online performances; however, fans and industry can rest assured that their favourite stand-up performances, star-studded In Conversations, powerful and poignant keynote speeches will all be included in the mix.
In the meantime, submissions are now open in three of the festival’s annual contests: Eat My Shorts, From Set to Screen, and Beyond The Box. More information at the JFL Submissions link. Synopses below…
- Just For Laughs is searching for the funniest short films from around the world to showcase in Eat My Shorts, the festival’s staple short film competition. Submissions are now open for short films from any comedic genre until May 21, 2021. The top films selected this year will be screened digitally from July 26-31, 2021, and will be voted upon by a jury of programming experts selected by festival executives to be announced at the screening. Many great filmmakers have screened short films in Eat My Shorts over the last two decades including Jason Reitman (3 times), Trey Parker & Matt Stone, and Bill Lawrence.
- Presented by Project 10 Productions, FROM SET TO SCREEN: TV, OTT, SVOD AND MORE: Just For Laughs is elated to be working once again with award-winning production company Project 10 Productions, producers behind such massive hits CBC/POPTV’S SCHITT’S CREEK, and CTV/Hulu’s JANN, in their search for the funniest, new and innovative long-form episodic or serialized comedy content. Open to applicants worldwide, submissions are being accepted until May 14, 2021 for comedy creators to enter their English single or multi-camera scripted sitcoms, game shows, reality shows, variety, sketch or animation series intended for a half hour or longer running time per episode. Previous panelists have included executives from Amazon, Bell Media, CBS, Comedy Central, CBC Comedy, FOX, FX Networks, HBO, Hulu, IFC, NBC and ABC.
- BEYOND THE BOX: PLAYING IT SHORT: Just For Laughs is excited to bring back the coveted comedy shorts competition, in search of the funniest new and innovative short-form comedy content. Open to applicants worldwide, submissions are now open until May 14, 2021 for creators to enter their English digital-first shows, with episode lengths no greater than 15 minutes. These series ideas lend themselves to bite-sized viewing, including scripted, animation, factual, variety and sketch, aimed at platforms such as Snap, Apple TV, Sundance TV, and YouTube. Past panelists have included executives from Above Average, Adult Swim, Bell Media, CBC Comedy, Funny or Die, New Form Digital, Revry, Snap and YouTube.
