The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced the winners of the competitive film selections and talent pipeline programs during the Best of the ABFF Awards ceremony. Hosted by comedian, actress and author Amanda Seales (Insecure), the ceremony was presented virtually for the second year on ABFF’s custom-designed streaming platform ABFF PLAY. ABFF winners receive a combined total cash prize of over $55,000 along with two actors cast in an upcoming original series. Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry served as this year’s ABFF ambassador.
Known for showcasing Black talent and discovering new voices, the month-long festival featured an unprecedented number of independent films — 102 — representing the best in Black cinema. The festival’s international film entries hailed from 32 countries, including Angola, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Ghana, Germany, Haiti, Namibia, Portugal, Saint Croix, South Africa and the United Kingdom. This year’s jury president was producer and ABFF alum Will Packer (Girl’s Trip, Ride Along).
Complementing ABFF’s wide range of films, the festival’s lineup of events included spotlight screenings, networking events and talks featuring Debra Martin Chase, Morris Chestnut, Colman Domingo, Meagan Good, Regina King, MC Lyte, Niecy Nash, Michael Rainey Jr., Larenz Tate, Flex Alexander and Shanice Wilson. A festival highlight was a one-on-one conversation with Halle Berry where she discussed her career and directorial debut Bruised. All events were presented free of charge reaching a global audience from 95 countries around the world during the festival which ran November 3-28.
Along with ABFF Ventures Founder and CEO Jeff Friday, featured presenters at the award ceremony were film and television industry executives representing ABFF’s impressive roster of partners and sponsors including: Karen Horne SVP, Equity + Inclusion, WarnerMedia; Sirius XM “Bevelations” host Bevy Smith on behalf of HBO; Juanita Slappy, Head of Multicultural Marketing, Cadillac; Dupe Bosu, Vice President, Strategic Communications (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), NBCUniversal; Keith Le Goy, Chairman, Distribution & Networks, Sony Pictures Entertainment; Yahoo National Reporter and Fellow, Garin Flowers.
The 2021 Jury Award winners are:
Prize: $10,000 for winner, $5,000 each for four finalists
When the Sun Sets, written and directed by Phumi Morare
Prize: $5,000
Trees of Peace, directed by Alanna Brown
Prize: $5,000
Trees of Peace, directed by Alanna Brown
Prize: 2,500
Trees of Peace, produced by Ron Ray, Barry Levine, Mike Bundlie, Brian Baniqued, Jeff Spiegel, Vicky Petela and Alanna Brown
Prize: 2,500
The Neutral Ground, directed by CJ Hunt, produced by Darcy McKinnon
Prize: $2,500
True Story: I Feel, directed and written by Matthew Law
The 2021 Talent Pipeline Program winners are:
Prize: $5,000
Soul City Texas, Tony Clomax
Prize: $5,000
Crazy in Love, Marcus Stricklin
Prize: Role in upcoming original series, West Philly, Baby
Virginia Watson and Harrison White
The 2021 Fan Favorites as determined by the ABFF’s virtual audience are:
“We wrapped our 25th year on an incredibly exhilarating high as we honored some of the most talented and promising filmmakers who are sharing authentic stories about experiences from a Black and Brown perspective,” said Jeff Friday, Founder and CEO, ABFF Ventures LLC. “Showcasing this content and uplifting Black creatives is what ABFF is all about. As we close out this landmark year, fraught with uncertainty, with a highly successful virtual celebration we are honored and encouraged. We extend profound thanks to our corporate partners and supporters, our worldwide audience and celebrity participants and look forward to continuing the ABFF legacy in Miami in 2022.”
ABFF sponsors to date include WarnerMedia and HBO® (Founding); Cadillac, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Amazon Studios (Presenting); Comcast NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, American Airlines, AT&T, Meta and IMDb (Premier); ALLBLK, HBOMax, City of Miami Beach, Netflix, Prudential Financial, TBS, Yahoo, Starz, Warner Bros. Pictures, Disney Television Studios, National Geographic, and Variety (Official); Accenture, AspireTV, Motion Picture Association (MPA), Morgan Stanley, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), and Sephora (Supporting). Media partners include BIN: Black Information Network, TheGrio and Rolling Out.
For festival information, visit and follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook. Join in on the conversation by using #ABFF. For information about media credentials, visit: https://www.abff.com/pressroom/.
Disney Channel has given a series order to Saturdays, a coming-of-age roller-skating comedy from Black-ish star Marsai Martin and her Genius Entertainment and writer-executive producer Norman Vance Jr. (Roll Bounce, Girlfriends). Production is slated to begin in May for premiere on Disney Channel.
Written by Vance, the single-camera comedy was ordered to pilot at Disney Channel in March. It centers on Paris Johnson, played by Danielle Jalade (Yes Day), who considers roller skating to be part of her soul – she breathes it in and makes it a lifestyle. She lives for the weekends because that’s when she gets to go to her sanctuary, the neon-lit Saturdays, a seemingly magical wood floor roller-rink where the impossible often manifests. In this wondrous place, Paris can hang with her best friends (the We-B-Girlz skate crew), choreograph exhilarating routines on wheels, banter with her rivals, navigate life with her DJ brother London and work on becoming a Golden – a member of Saturday’s skating elite, chosen by the mystical owner of the rink, The Duchess.
Also starring are Omar Gooding (Family Time) as Cal Johnson, Golden Brooks (Girlfriends) as Deb Johnson, Jermaine Harris (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things) as London Johnson, and Daria Johns (Nappily Ever After) as Simone.
Vance and Martin executive produce with Nicole Dow and Joshua and Carol Martin (Little).
Charles Stone III (Drumline, black-ish) directed the pilot.
“We’re thrilled to be in business with Marsai, Norman, Nicole, Joshua, and Carol in bringing this adventure to our viewers, said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “We know that audiences will fall in love with Paris, her friends, and her family as they share in the love, laughter, and music in this fun-filled world of roller skating.”
A winner of multiple NAACP Image Awards and BET Awards for her roles on ABC’s Black-ish and the 2019 feature film Little, Martin became the youngest person ever to executive-produce a major studio feature film with Little. She founded Genius Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company, with Joshua and Carol Martin, to create compelling stories for television, features, and digital. Genius Productions is repped by UTA, Oronde Garrett of M88, and Stephen Barnes of Barnes Morris Klein & Yorn
Veteran TV and film writer Vance’s credits include Moesha and Girlfriends. He wrote and produced several films including Roll Bounce, Beauty Shop and Pride. He most recently served as Co-Executive Producer on Our Kind Of People and as a Supervising Producer on the series American Soul, Swagger and Queen Sugar. Vance is repped by The Gersh Agency, Heroes and Villains Entertainment and Will Jacobson of Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.
Source: Deadline
Kevin Steele, the district attorney from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, who put Bill Cosby in prison in 2018, has filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the disgraced comedian’s conviction. Cosby was released from prison on June 30 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that former prosecutor Bruce Castor’s decision not to prosecute Cosby in 2005 should have prevented him from being charged by a successor D.A. in 2015.
In the petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, Steele’s office called the Pennsylvania court’s ruling “a dangerous precedent.”
“A prosecution announcement not to file charges should not trigger due process protections against future criminal proceedings because circumstances could change, including new incriminating statements by the accused,” the prosecutor’s office argued.
Cosby, 84, was convicted in 2018 and was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. He served nearly three years of his sentence before his June release.
The D.A.’s petition to the Supreme Court argues that the Pennsylvania ruling raises issues under the Constitution’s due process clause. In a press release accompanying the filing, Steele argues: “The question presented to the Court is: ‘Where a prosecutor publicly announces that he will not file criminal charges based on lack of evidence, does the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment transform that announcement into a binding promise that no charges will ever be filed, a promise that the target may rely on as if it were a grant of immunity?’”
Cosby’s spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, issued a statement blasting the prosecutor’s office for asking the Supreme Court to “throw the Constitution out the window.”
“There is no merit to the DA’s request which centers on the unique facts of the Cosby case and has no impact on important federal questions of law,” Wyatt said. “This is a pathetic last-ditch effort that will not prevail. The Montgomery County’s DA’s fixation with Mr. Cosby is troubling to say the least.”
Constand reported the assault to police in January 2005. A month later, the then Montgomery County District Attorney, Castor, issued a press release stating that his office had decided not to file charges in the case.
Cosby then gave deposition testimony in a civil lawsuit Constand had filed, in which he acknowledged giving Quaaludes to other women. Constand eventually settled the suit for $3.38 million. In 2014, dozens of women — some of whom had accused him for years — came forward with similar allegations to Constand’s that Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted them.
Steele was elected district attorney in 2015, having criticized Castor’s handling of the case during his campaign. Cosby was charged in December 2015. Cosby’s attorneys argued at the time that Steele’s office had ignored Castor’s promise not to prosecute. They also contended that Cosby would have invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify in the civil case if he believed he was in dan
The trial court held a hearing on that issue, and found that Castor had not actually made such an agreement. Castor has pointed to the press release as the written record of the agreement, though the release does not include language about immunity from future prosecution. Cosby’s first trial ended in a hung jury, but he was convicted at the second trial in 2018. Prosecutors used Cosby’s deposition testimony in both trials.
In June, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction on a 6-1 vote, finding that Cosby had relied on Castor’s promise not to prosecute when he gave his incriminating deposition testimony.
Since his release from prison, Cosby has largely remained out of the public eye. He’s done no high-profile interviews, and despite Wyatt’s promises, Cosby hasn’t announced a return to the stage or any future projects.
Source: Variety
You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have: “The Facts of Life.” But there’s no bad, only good — no, make that great — casting here for next week’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” remake of the classic 1980s sitcom.
Joining the previously announced Ann Dowd (as Edna Garrett) will be Jennifer Aniston as Blair, Gabrielle Union as Tootie, Allison Tolman as Natalie and Kathryn Hahn as Jo.
For the third installment of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” executive producers Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel are pairing the iconic late 1970s/early 1980s comedy “Diff’rent Strokes” with its spinoff, “The Facts of Life.” Both series came from Lear’s production companies during that era, Tandem Productions (originally founded by Lear and Bud Yorkin in 1958) and T.A.T. Communications, which were later folded into Embassy Communications.
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Diff’rent Strokes’” will air live Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. As previously announced, the “Diff’rent Strokes” installment will star John Lithgow as Mr.Drummond, Kevin Hart playing Arnold, Damon Wayans as Willis and Dowd as Mrs. Garrett. Aniston, Tolman, Union and Hahn were announced as new cast additions on Monday night during “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
“I cannot imagine a better group than Jennifer Aniston, Allison Tolman, Gabrielle Union, Kathryn Hahn and Ann Dowd, and I can’t wait to do their hair,” said executive producer Jimmy Kimmel.
“The Facts of Life” aired for nine seasons between 1979 and 1988. In the show, Edna Garrett leaves the Drummonds’ Park Avenue hom and becomes housemother of a dormitory at a private all-girls school in Peekskill, New York. There, she oversees the care of students Blair Warner (Lisa Whelchel), Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey (Kim Fields), Natalie Green (Mindy Cohn) and others. After Season 1, several of the girls (including Molly Ringwald were written out of the show, and the focus narrowed to Mrs. Garrett as the school’s dietician and Blair, Tootie and Natalie as her helpers — along with Jo Polniaczek (Nancy McKeon), added as part of the revamp in Season 2.
The live special event will feature reenactments of episodes from “The Facts of Life,” created by Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon, and “Diff’rent Strokes,” created by Bernie Kukoff and Jeff Harris, and will reunite executive producers Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell, Justin Theroux and Jim Burrows.
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience” is produced by Sony Pictures Television, Kimmelot, ACT III Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions, D’Arconville and Simpson Street. Jim Burrows and Andy Fisher are set to direct the live show.
The first “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” featured re-creations of “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” in spring 2019, averaging 13 million viewers. It was followed by a second edition featuring “All in the Family” and “Good Times” in winter 2019, which averaged nearly 8 million Total Viewers after 35 days of delayed viewing across all platforms. Both installments won Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live).
Further editions were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but with production protocols in place, producers were ready to bring it back.
Source: Variety
Vancouver, November 30, 2021 – Just For Laughs is excited to reveal that the formerly known JFL NorthWest festival has rebranded to Just For Laughs VANCOUVER and will be returning to take over the city from February 15-27, 2022. With the city of Vancouver and their devoted comedy enthusiasts being such an essential contributor in the festival’s resounding successful history, it was only fitting that the city is represented internationally in its name, and has now been officially incorporated into the festival title. Just For Laughs VANCOUVER producers are excited to bring back this beloved festival to the city, and are working tirelessly to curate performances by some of the largest names in comedy right now, ensuring that fans and attendees are offered the best comedy experience possible.
Performing at the 6th edition of Just For Laughs VANCOUVER,
in association with SiriusXM,
Andrew Schulz: The INFAMOUS Tour – Saturday, February 26, 2022 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre | 7:00pm
Andrew Schulz created and stars in Netflix’s Schulz Saves America, a four-part special that tackles the year’s most divisive topics. A native New Yorker, Schulz is known for his hilariously unapologetic takes and wild off-the-cuff interactions with the crowd. His stand-up clips posted on YouTube have amassed over 255 million views, and his latest YouTube comedy special The Crowd Work Special has been viewed over 4 million times. His other specials 441 and Views from the CIS have been viewed over 13 million times. His two podcasts, The Brilliant Idiots and Flagrant 2 receive over 2 million listens per week, and he has created three stand up-centered shows available for free right on YouTube.
Ronny Chieng: The Hope You Get Rich Tour – Friday, February 25, 2022 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre | 7:00pm
Ronny Chieng is a stand-up comedian, actor and correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He starred in the worldwide Marvel Studios’ hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Disney + Doogie Kamealoha M.D.,and Warner Bros.’ Crazy Rich Asians. He has his own Netflix special Asian Comedian Destroys America! as well as additional T.V. and film appearances including Young Rock, Godzilla vs Kong, Bliss, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
How Did This Get Made? – LIVE! – Thursday, February 24, 2022 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre | 7:00 PM
Have you ever seen a movie so bad, it’s good? Paul Scheer (The League, Black Monday), Jason Mantzoukas (The League, Brooklyn 99) and June Diane Raphael (Grace & Frankie, Long Shot) are experts in the best of the worst of cinema. On the award-winning HOW DID THIS GET MADE, they gather their funniest friends and subject themselves to a cinematic nightmare—and then podcast the results. It is consistently one of the Top 10 most downloaded comedy podcasts. Each episode features the deconstruction and mockery of such epically bad films, from Drop Dead Fred to the entire Fast and Furious franchise. With sold-out shows across the country, HOW DID THIS GET MADE live episodes are a truly unique experience. The audience participates through questions to the hosts, creating impromptu songs for segments, and viewing one-of-a-kind clips.
Nicole Byer – Thursday, February 24, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 7:00pm
Actress, comedian, writer, author and podcaster, Nicole Byer, is the host of Netflix’s Emmy nominated competition baking series Nailed It! She can also be seen co-hosting TBS’ Wipeout, and heard as voicing characters in Amazon’s Invincibles, TZGZ’s The Pole, and Adult Swim’s Tuca & Bertie and soon Nickelodeon’s Rugrats on Paramount+. She is set to star in NBC’s upcoming series GrandCrew this Fall. Listeners can hear Nicole on five different podcasts, including Why Won’t You Date Me?, Best Friends with Sasheer Zamata, Newcomers with Lauren Lapkus and 90 Day Bae with Marcy Jarreau. Her book, #VERYFAT #VERYBRAVE: The Fat Girl’s Guide to Being #Brave and Not a Dejected, Melancholy, Down-in-the-Dumps Weeping Fat Girl in a Bikini, is available now.
Marc Maron: This May Be The Last Time – Saturday, February 26, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 7:00pm
Marc Maron has four hit stand-up comedy specials – including More Later on Epix, Thinky Pain, Marc Maron: Too Real, and End Times Fun which was nominated for a 2021 Critics’ Choice Award, on Netflix. With his landmark podcast WTF with Marc Maron, which averages 6 million downloads per month, Maron has interviewed icons such as Robin Williams, Keith Richards and former US president Barack Obama. He also starred in the Netflix original series Glow, and has had roles in the films Joker, Spencer Confidential, Sword of Trust, Stardust, and the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, alongside Jennifer Hudson.
Andrew Santino Live – Tito Cheeto Tour – Thursday, February 17, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 7:00pm
Andrew Santino is a stand-up comedian, actor and podcaster who stars in FX’s most watched comedy series Dave, and Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here, executively produced by Jim Carrey. He has appeared in Game Over Man and starred in ABC’s Mixology. Andrew co-hosts the very popular podcast Bad Friends with comedian Bobby Lee and has his own solo podcast, Whiskey Ginger. His Showtime hour-long stand-up special Home-Field Advantage debuted in 2017, and his Comedy Central Half Hour was released alongside his debut album Say No More.
Bob The Drag Queen – Sunday, February 20, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 9:30pm
Bob The Drag Queen is having a moment. The season 8 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race was noted for her focus on comedy. She is currently starring alongside Shangela Laquifa Wadley and Eureka O’Hara in HBO’s first unscripted hit series, We’re Here, which was just renewed for a second season and is nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Unstructured Reality Series. She has a brand-new comedy special Bob The Drag Queen: Live at Caroline’s as well as MTV’s Drag My Dad, The Pit Stop and her ever-popular podcast Sibling Rivalry with best friend, touring partner and RuPaul All-Star Drag Race winner, Monet X Change.
Maria Bamford – Friday, February 25, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 7:00pm
Maria Bamford is revered for her deeply personal and experimental comedy about mental illness. She starred in the surreal, semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite, about a comedian who suffers a nervous breakdown, and is the star of three unconventional hour-long stand-up specials: Weakness is the Brand, Old Babyand Maria Bamford, the special, special, special! Maria was the first female comic to have two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials. She also created and starred in the cult hit web series The Maria Bamford Show. Maria is often recognized for her prolific voiceover work, including characters on Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, Summer Camp Island, Adventure Time, Talking Tom and Friends, Bob’s Burgers, Legend of Korra, Puss in Boots, CatDog and PBS’s Emmy-winning series Word Girl. She also stars as Tilly Mulch in Team Coco’s scripted podcast Frontier Tween.
Deon Cole – Friday, February 18, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 9:30pm
Deon Cole is a comedian, writer, and actor, who can currently be seen on ABC’s Black-ish and Freeform’s Grown-ish. He most recently can be seen in Netflix’s The Harder They Fall starring Idris Elba and Regina King, produced by Jay-Z. He has also starred on the TBS’ Angie Tribeca, and appeared in the feature film The Female Brain. In standup, Deon’s special Cole Hearted can be streamed on Netflix, as well as his performance on The Standups. His previous one-hour special, Deon Cole’s: Cole Blooded Seminar was shot for Comedy Central.
Vir Das’ Manic Man World Tour – Saturday, February 26, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 9:30pm
As India’s biggest stand-up comedian and a Bollywood star, Vir Das has now crossed over to become a global comedy sensation, starring in the upcoming Judd Apatow film, The Bubble, for Netflix. Das was the first comedian from India to have a stand-up special on Netflix, which has since resulted in a multi-special deal with the platform. Das has written and produced four Netflix specials in five years, including Outside In, which was shot entirely in quarantine with audience members virtually attending from around the world. His special, For India, received an international Emmy nomination. Outside of his Bollywood films, Das starred as an actor in the ABC spy dramedy Whiskey Cavalier, Fresh Off the Boat, and the Netflix series Hasmokh, which he created and executive produced.
Natasha Leggero & Moshe Kasher: The Endless Honeymoon Podcast – Saturday, February 19, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 7:00pm
Moshe Kasher and Natasha Leggero are husband and wife who co-host the popular The Endless Honeymoon Podcast where they give relationship advice with a hilarious spin. Last year, the comedian couple released a three-part comedy special for Netflix, The Honeymoon Stand-Up Special – based off of their wildly successful podcast. Moshe Kasher has written for several films, series, and specials including HBO’s Betty, Apple’s Little America, Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer, the Comedy Central Roasts and much more. Natasha Leggero most recently starred in the CBS sitcom Broke, as well as created, executive produced and starred in the Comedy Central hit show Another Period.
Jimmy O. Yang – February 18, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 7:00pm
Jimmy O. Yang is an actor, stand-up comedian, and writer best known for his role on HBO’s Emmy-nominated series Silicon Valley. In 2017, he made a dramatic turn in his theatrical debut starring opposite Mark Wahlberg in the highly acclaimed Patriots Day. Shortly after, he joined the ensemble of the international phenomenon in Warner Bros. hit film, Crazy Rich Asians. Yang wrote a memoir, How To American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents, and his hour-long comedy special Good Deal, pulls stories from his life as mentioned in his book. Yang stars and writes Netflix’s Space Force and stars in the holiday romcom Love Hard on Netflix. Yang makes up one-third of the production company Crab Club Inc., which wrapped their first feature film Easter Sunday starring comedian Jo Koy.
Roy Wood Jr. – Friday, February 25, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 9:30pm
Roy Wood Jr. is currently a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy award winning The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Roy expanded his already large role on Comedy Central with a first-look deal and is developing his comedy pilot Jefferson County: Probation. Most recently, Roy launched his podcast, Roy’s Job Fair, produced in partnership with Comedy Central and iHeartMedia. Wood’s additional credits include Better Call Saul, The Last O.G., Space Force, Last Comic Standing, This Is Not Happening, and Sullivan & Son as well as his Comedy Central web series The Night Pigeon and Stand-Up Playback.
Ari Shaffir – Sunday, February 27, 2022 | Vogue Theatre | 9:30pm
Ari Shaffir is best known for the storytelling show he created and hosted on Comedy Central, This Is Not Happening. His podcast, Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank is a chart topper that comes out every week. The deal is, this is a dirty show. It’s not all offensive but definitely some parts are offensive. So don’t bring that one friend in your friend group who makes that tsk noise a lot. Just tell them you’re doing something else or your grandmother died or your grandmother killed somebody and you gotta be a character witness. Whatever. Just don’t bring them. But everybody else for sure come.
Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? – Sunday, February 20, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 7:00 & 9:30pm
Chris Redd is an actor, writer, stand-up comic, and rapper. Redd is a cast member on NBC’s Saturday Night Liveand currently stars in the NBC comedy, Kenan, opposite Kenan Thompson. He is set to star in the upcoming series Bust Down and has an hour long special in the works for HBO Max. In 2018, Redd received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the “SNL” song “Come Back, Barack.” He appeared in the 2016 film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping opposite Andy Samberg, and also starred in the Netflix original comedy series, Disjointed. In 2019, he released his debut stand-up album But Here We Are. On TV, Redd starred in the cult-classic series Wet Hot American Summer and was featured in NBC’s Will & Grace, Netflix’s Love, Comedy Central’s Detroiters and Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents. Redd was featured as a New Face at the 2016 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.
Cameron Esposito – Thursday, February 24, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 7:00pm
Cameron Esposito is a standup comic, actor and writer who has appeared across television and film and, most recently, in print in the New York Times. You may also know Cameron from her popular interview podcast, Queery. Her first book, Save Yourself, is available now.
Janeane Garofalo – Friday, February 25 + Saturday, February 26, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 7:00pm
Actress and comedian Janeane Garofalo has had many memorable and critically acclaimed roles in films such asThe Truth About Cats and Dogs, Wet Hot American Summer, Ratatouille, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunionand many more. Janeane co-authored the best seller Feel This Book with Ben Stiller and was a cast member of the Emmy Award-winning Ben Stiller Show. She received an Emmy nomination for her performance on The Larry Sanders Show and is a former cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Janeane’s other television work includes two specials for HBO, FOX’s 24, Mad About You and NBC’s The West Wing. She was instrumental in the successful launching of the first liberal radio network, Air America Radio, where she hosted her own talk show, The Majority Report.
Joel Kim Booster – Saturday, February 19, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 9:30pm
Joel Kim Booster is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who just wrapped the Searchlight rom-com Fire Island, which he wrote and starred alongside Bowen Yang, and is set to release on Hulu. Joel is currently filming the Apple TV+ series Loot. His other TV and film credits include NBC’s Sunnyside, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hulu’s Shrill, TBS’ Search Party and many more. He will also be a series regular voice on the new HBO MAX animated program Santa Inc., and can be seen in the upcoming film Unplugging. In 2017, Joel recorded a stand-up special for Comedy Central’s The Half-Hour and a full-length stand-up album called Model Minority.
Not Another D&D Podcast – Wednesday, February 23, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 9:30pm
Welcome to the campaign after the campaign! Three unlikely adventurers attempt to right the wrongs caused by a party of legendary heroes who screwed up the world while trying to save it. DM Brian Murphy is joined by Emily Axford (Moonshine Cybin), Jake Hurwitz (Hardwon Surefoot), and Caldwell Tanner (Beverly Toegold V) for this D&D play podcast.
ALOK – Friday, February 25, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 9:30pm
ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer, and public speaker. As a mixed-media artist, ALOK’s work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017) and Beyond the Gender Binary (2020). They are the creator of #DeGenderFashion, a movement to degender fashion and beauty industries and have been honored as one of HuffPo’s Culture Shifters, NBC’s Pride 50, and Business Insider’s Doers.
Wine & Crime – Saturday, February 26, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 9:30pm
If you have a dark sense of humor and like your true crime stories paired with a glass of wine, then you need to check out the true crime/comedy podcast, Wine & Crime! Each week, hosts Kenyon, Lucy, and Amanda, choose a different true crime topic, pair it with a wine, delve into the psychology behind the crime, and discuss two fascinating true crime cases related to that episode’s theme. These gals do NOT hold back and they do their research. Wine & Crime is irreverent, nerdy, darkly hilarious, feminist fun, and absolutely perfect for satisfying one’s morbid curiosities. So join these three childhood best friends as they “chug wine, chat true crime, and unleash their worst Minnesotan accents.
Michael Kosta – Saturday, February 19, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 7:00pm
Michael Kosta is a Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah for Comedy Central. He was previously the host and co-executive producer of The Comment Section for the E! Network and is well known from his numerous late-night appearances on Conan, The Tonight Show, Seth Meyers, and @midnight; as well as from his 30-minute special Comedy Central Presents: Michael Kosta. Michael is also known for his work on Fox Sports 1’s flagship show, Crowd Goes Wild which he hosted alongside Regis Philbin.
Dana Gould – Thursday, February 17, 2022 | Rio Theatre | 7:00pm
Dana Gould has six solo stand-up comedy specials to his credit between Comedy Central, HBO and Showtime. As an actor, Dana has had memorable turns on Seinfeld, Parks and Rec, and is one of the few actors to play his live-action self on Family Guy. Most recently, he’s been featured on horror anthology creep show and the television show, Black Monday. Dana was a writer/performer on the original Ben Stiller Show and maintains an equally active career as a writer. He joined the staff of The Simpsons where he was a co-executive producer and performed several voices for the show. He was also a producer on NBC’s Parks and Rec, and the creator and executive producer of IFC’s Stan Against Evil. Dana recently developed a hour-long series based on the comic book series, The October Faction, and his monthly podcast, The Dana Gould Hour, frequently resides in iTunes’ top ten comedy downloads.
Rosebud Baker and Brian Simpson – Saturday, February 19, 2022 | Biltmore Cabaret | 7:00pm
Rosebud Baker is a comedian, actress, and writer, who was selected as New Face at the 2018 JFL Festival in Montreal. Her Comedy Central special, Whisky Fists, is available to stream right now. Brian Simpson is a stand-up comedian who was named a New Face at the 2021 JFL Festival in Montreal. He recently made his TV debut on Comedy Central’s Lights Out with David Spade, and you can catch him on Season 3 of Netflix’s The Standups.
Jess Salomon & Eman El-Husseini: Still Married – Friday, February 18, 2022 | Biltmore Cabaret| 7:00p
The El-Salomons are a married Jewish-Palestinian lesbian comedy couple who after years of performing solo decided to add yet another challenge to their relationship: A duo act! Now they tell jokes about one another, in front of each other. A sacrifice they make for the fans. Jess Salomon and Eman El-Husseini have several individual TV credits as well as a joint comedy special, Marriage of Convenience streamable in Canada on Crave and elsewhere on the Just for Laughs YouTube channel. They are the hosts of Comedians vs The News on the BBC World Service.
Atsuko Okatsuka: Atsuko Presents: hi – Friday, February 25, 2022 | Biltmore Cabaret | 7:00pm
Atsuko is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer based in LA. Her credits include CBS’ The Late Late Show with James Corden, Roku’s The Show Next Door with Randall Park Hulu’s, Mom & Pop, Soft Focus with Jena Friedmanand Hulu’s The Eric Andre Show. Atsuko was named a Comedian To Watch in Vulture’s 2018 list & Top 10 Comedians to Watch for TimeOut LA’s 2019 list. Her pilot Let’s Go Atsuko!, originally based on her recurring live show at Dynasty Typewriter, was sold to and set up at Quibi. Atsuko released a comedy album entitled But I Control Me with Comedy Dynamics.
James Adomian – Saturday, February 26, 2022 | Biltmore Cabaret | 9:30pm
James Adomian is a prolific buffoon, with a new hit podcast The Underculture, along with many wild and beloved appearances on hundreds of comedy podcasts across the podtheon. With Anthony Atamanuik, James is one half of Trump vs. Bernie, a comedy duo whose work spans across the many media of television, radio and a vinyl album — including an apparently never-ending live debate tour!
Come Thru – Caleb Hearon & Holmes Holmes – Saturday, February 26, 2022 | Biltmore Cabaret | 7:00pm
Caleb Hearon is a stand-up comedian, writer and actor who currently writes for Netflix’s Human Resources, a spinoff of the hit show Big Mouth and is about to star in TBS’ Space. In 2020, Variety named Caleb one of their Comics to Watch and Just For Laughs’ named him one of their New Faces: Creators. He can also be seen on Showtime’s Work in Progress and on FX’s Fargo. Holmes is a comedian, improviser, actor, and writer who stars as the lead in the upcoming FOX show, Welcome to Flatch. She also co-hosts the live show “At What Cost” with Caleb Hearon, which has toured all over the country.
Gavin Matts – Thursday, February 17, 2022 | Biltmore Cabaret | 7:00pm
Gavin Matts is a bicoastal stand up, writer, and actor. Originally from Vancouver, Gavin is the winner of the 2017 SiriusXM Top Comic competition and his debut comedy album, Premature, debuted at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Gavin was named a “Comic To Watch” at Team Coco’s 2018 NY Comedy Festival Showcase. Gavin made his American late-night debut on TBS’ Conan, and can be seen on Comedy Central’s Bill Burr Presents: The Ringers. He can also be seen on season two of Hulu’s RAMY, and the upcoming season of Starz’ Power Book II: Ghost.
Yellow Fever w/ Headliner Robin Tran – Thursday, February 24, 2022 | Biltmore Cabaret | 7:00pm
Yellow Fever, produced by local Vancouver comedians Matty Vu, Ronald Dario and Tin Lorica is a showcase of Asian comedians from different backgrounds that uplifts Asian voices so they can share their unique personalities and experiences, because ethnicity isn’t a punchline. Closing the Just for Laughs Vancouver edition of Yellow Fever will be headliner Robin Tran!
Robin Tran was named one of Just For Laughs’ New Faces of Comedy in 2021. Based in Orange County, Robin started her life presenting as a male named Robert Tran. In 2015, she came out as a transgender woman and has been performing as Robin ever since. In 2018, she appeared on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle and her first one-hour comedy special, Don’t Look at Me is streaming on Hulu, Spotify and iTunes. She was also a writer on Historical Roasts on Netflix.
We are so excited that Best of the West, presented by SiriusXM, is back, highlighting B.C’s local talent!
This year’s lineup includes: Comedy Bucket, Comedy Hour, Comedy Pants, Comedy World, Coupon Book, David and Ken: Comedy with Music!, Full Pint, Havana Moon Comedy, Joke Fight, Ola Dada’s Black Out Comedy, Soda Fountain, Sunday Night Stand Up Comedy, The Hero Show, The Scrawny Show, and Vancouver Special.
These artists are joining the previously revealed, Trevor Noah, who is bringing his Trevor Noah: Back to Abnormal Tour to the Rogers Arena on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
Additional stand-up performances, live podcast recordings, improv, sketch and beyond will be taking place at this year’s festival, with more details to be revealed in the coming weeks. In 2020 JFL NorthWest delivered 125+ shows, 200+ Artists, to 50,000+ in attendance, at 20+ venues.
All shows will follow local and Provincial Health guidelines – Proof of vaccination is required for entry.
Just For Laughs VANCOUVER is very excited to welcome our audiences back into venues for live shows, and we are committed to doing so safely. By order of the BC Provincial Health Officer (PHO), proof of full vaccination is required to attend the festival. You must present your Vaccination Passport and a valid government picture ID. As per the BC Government, audiences will be required to wear a mask or face covering in the venue at all times except for when eating or drinking in their seat.
Just For Laughs VANCOUVER is proud to welcome its partners SiriusXM, Creative B.C., BCLC, Phillips Brewing & Malting Co., Destination Vancouver, The Vancouver Sun, Downtown Vancouver BIA, + DailyHive to its 2022 event.
FESTIVAL TICKET DETAILS:
All tickets for Just For Laughs VANCOUVER can be purchased at www.JFLVancouver.com
PRESS MATERIALS:
To download high-resolution images of festival artists, click here.
AN IMPORTANT CAUSE TO US,
Laughter is great medicine, but donations can actually help. Just For Laughs VANCOUVER is proud to call British Columbia home and we are deeply saddened by the recent flooding in our beautiful province. Help us raise much needed funds to provide immediate, and ongoing, relief to our neighbours in and around affected areas by donating to the British Columbia Floods & Extreme Weather Appeal through Red Cross.
Donate directly via Red Cross by using this link or by calling 1-800-418-1111
For further information about the British Columbia Floods & Extreme Weather Appeal and how the Canadian Red Cross is helping British Columbians rebuild, please visit this link.
The final season of Black-ish has lined up an A-list guest star.
Michelle Obama will appear on an episode of the ABC comedy in its eighth and last season, the show announced on social media Thursday. She’ll play herself, but other details of the former first lady’s appearance are being kept under wraps for now.
“I’ve long been a fan of Black-ish‘s wit and all-around brilliance, and it was such a thrill to join in for an episode,” Obama wrote on her social platforms. I can’t wait for you all to see it!”
Black-ish will be the second network comedy Obama has appeared on; while her husband, Barack Obama, was still president, she appeared on the sixth-season finale of Parks and Recreation.
She won’t be the first political figure to appear on Black-ish: Stacey Abrams, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former Obama adviser David Axelrod have all appeared on the show in the past.
ABC renewed Black-ish for an eighth and final season in May. Series creator Kenya Barris wrote at the time that “In this day and age it is rare to get to decide when your show should come to an end, and we are grateful along with ABC to be able to make this final season exactly what we’d hoped for — and to do it with the entire and AMAZINGLY STELLAR cast coming back to close this chapter out with us the right way!” Barris wrote Friday on Instagram. “This show has changed my life in so many ways and I am so proud of the conversations we’ve started along the way.
Michelle and Barack Obama have an overall deal at Netflix via their Higher Ground Productions. The company counts documentaries American Factory and Crip Camp, kids’ shows Ada Twist, Scientist and We the People and feature films Fatherhood and Worth among its productions.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Martin Lawrence has been tapped to star in Topic Studios’ reimagined English-language adaptation of the HOT-produced praised Israeli series Nehama. In his first television role in seven years, Lawrence will play the title character in the soon-to-be-titled dark comedy. Lawrence also will produce the U.S. version via his RunTelDat Entertainment production company, alongside 24 Drafts Studio and Topic Studios.
In a competitive situation, Topic Studios acquired the rights to develop an English-language adaptation of Nehama in 2020, with Quan Phung, Topic Studios’ SVP, Original Series, bringing the project to the studio. The original Israeli series was created by Reshef Levi (The Arbitrator) and Tomer Shani (Very Important Person), who also directed it, with Yoav Gross (The Good Cop) producing. Levi, Shani and Gross will partner with an American writer on the adaptation.
The series tells the story of a happily married father of five (Lawrence) who quits his suffocating job in high tech to chase his original love of stand-up comedy. When his wife suddenly dies, he must decide whether he should pursue his dream and risk losing his kids – who are lost without their mother. Hilarious, intelligent, and raw, this series examines what it means to seek pleasure and find comfort in the face of tragedy and tackles the timeless challenge of “wanting to have it all” from a uniquely male perspective, with some twists along the way.
Maria Zuckerman, Quan Phung and Michael Bloom executive produce for Topic Studios; Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence and Rae Proctor will executive produce and Stacy Lyles will produce for RunTelDat Entertainment; and Reshef Levi and Yoav Gross will executive produce for 24 Drafts, with Tomer Shani.
The original 10-episode series opened the 2019 CannesSeries Festival, winning the Best Performance Award for its creator and star Reshef Levi, and went on to win two Israeli Emmy Awards in 2019, including Best Comedy Series.
In talking about the idea to feature a contemporary African American family in the adaptation, Lawrence said, “Nehama has heart and real-life complications that drew me to the project. I am looking forward to getting back to TV and this is a perfect fit.”
“We’re so thrilled that the iconic Martin Lawrence will reimagine Nehama with us,” said Maria Zuckerman, President of Topic Studios. “Just as Reshef Levi hilariously embodied the original namesake character’s pathos and idiosyncrasies, we can’t wait to see where Martin’s immense talent and the creative team take the character in exploring fatherhood and what it takes to lead a fulfilling life.”
“We created the original Nehama series about our love of comedy, storytelling, and our admiration of our wives,” said Reshef Levi and Yoav Gross of 24 Drafts. “After HOT initially recognized the huge potential, we thought nothing bigger could happen. But now when a great master like Martin Lawrence wants to work with us on a new U.S. version with Topic Studios – we feel blessed to have this dream come true. We’re sure that this new multi-cultural collaboration will make an even better series.”
The Nehama adaptation marks a rare series regular role for Lawrence, his first TV gig since the 2014 FX sitcom Partners, in which he starred opposite Kelsey Grammer. Before that, Lawrence headlined his popular comedy series Martin which ran from 1992-1997 and earned Lawrence two NAACP Image Awards as Best Actor in a Comedy Series and won Best Comedy Series twice.
Topic Studios has been ramping up its scripted television division. It has partnered with Amazon Studios to develop the Untitled Vincent Chin Project, a limited series created by Marilyn Fu with Destin Daniel Cretton attached to direct. It also and has two dramas stemming from the studio’s previous first-look deal with Tracy Oliver, including the adult thriller Savannah with PKM Productions for Amazon Studios. Topic Studios is producing HBO surfing series 100 Foot Wave , with has been renewed for a second season, and is one of the studios behind the three-part documentary series, Nuclear Family, directed by Ry Russo-Young, also on HBO.
Source: Deadline
Grammy winners Roddy Ricch (“The Box”), Ella Mai (“Boo’d Up”) and Macy Gray (“I Try”) have signed on to star in the animated feature, Sneaks, with five-time nominee Swae Lee (“Sunflower”) and NBA superstar Chris Paul also joining the cast.
As previously announced, Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburne will also lend his voice and produce, with multi-platinum and Grammy-winning producer and artist Mustard serving as the film’s executive music producer.
The feature from Lengi Studios and Fishburne’s Cinema Gypsy Productions centers on a pair of misplaced sneakers that end up lost in New York City and must find a way to get back to their “sole mates.” With the help of a charming oxford (Mai), an elegant stiletto (Gray), and a gifted young athlete (Lee), they must band together to thwart the evil Collector (Fishburne) and the mysterious Forger (Ricch).
Paul will play himself, hosting a Met Gala-like event for avid sneakerheads seen in the film.
Rob Edwards will write the script and direct, in his feature debut. Helen Sugland and Fishburne of Cinema Gypsy will produce with Len Hartman and Gil Cloyd of Lengi Studios. 10 Summers Co-Founder and President Meko Yohannes, and Robyn Klein and Jeremy Ross, producers of the Oscar-winning animated short, If Anything Happens I Love You, will serve as executive producers, with legendary sneaker personality Bobbito Garcia serving as cultural advisor.
Pre-production, design and storyboard work is underway with House of Cool (Ferdinand). Assemblage (Arctic Dogs) will handle the animation. The film is represented by GFM Animation (International). CAA Media Finance represents domestic rights.
“Our film will illuminate and pay homage to the forever growing and popular sneaker culture that continues to inspire and be inspired by musicians, athletes and artists alike,” said Fishburne, “and I’m thrilled by the cast and crew who have decided to join us on the journey.”
“I really see the music in this film as a crucial part of the storytelling. As the first family animated feature film to be steeped in sneaker culture, – I am honored to draw from my expertise as a producer and artist, and my love of sneakers, to create moments that really connect,” added Mustard. “The added bonus is that this is a film that I’ll be able to enjoy with my family and kids.”
Ricch is represented by Full Stop Management, BirdVision Entertainment, WME, Wasserman and King, Holmes, Paterno; Mai by 10 Summers Management and WME; Gray by ICM and Cover Art Entertainment; Lee by Migo Management, WME and Kenny Meiselas; Paul by CAA; Fishburne by CAA, Landmark Artists Management, and Del Shaw Moonves; Mustard by 10 Summers Management, Roc Nation and WME.
Source: Deadline
The family comedy Mexican Beverly Hills is being developed for CBS by Erick Galindo, Aaron Izek, and Wilmer Valderrama, Deadline has learned. The single-camera project is inspired by Galindo’s New York Times essay of the same name.
Mexican Beverly Hills tells the story of a working-class Mexican-American family that moves to the wealthy, heavily Latinx city of Downey—also known as the Mexican Beverly Hills—where they both fit in and stand out in ways they never have before.
Galindo and Izek will write and executive produce; Wilmer Valderrama and Kaitlin Saltzman will also executive produce under Valderrama’s WV Entertainment banner.
Galindo is a five-time Telly Award-winning writer, director, and producer known for his personal essays. He regularly writes about culture for LAist, NPR station KPCC, and The New York Times, and was the first managing editor of L.A. Taco, where his work won a James Beard Foundation award. His co-written pilot Hot in Carson was a finalist for the Black List’s inaugural Latinx TV List, and his dark comedy script Legends was selected for the 2020 NHMC Latinx Screenwriters Showcase. He just launched Sin Miedo Productions with Patty Rodriguez.
Izek—an alumnus of the 2018-2019 CBS Writers Mentoring Program—is a comedy writer and director with a background in sketch. Previously, he’s written for the CBS comedy Broke Season 1 and is currently staffed on the forthcoming Disney+ show, American Born Chinese. He also put up multiple shows with the Upright Citizens Brigade and the comedy group The ScubaGuyz, while also working on video sketches that have been featured by CollegeHumor.
Both Galindo and Izek are repped by A3 Artist Agency; Izek is also repped by Circle of Confusion and attorney Lev Ginsburg. Valderrama is repped by UTA and Silver Lining Entertainment.
Source: Deadline