Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival has announced a lineup of 47 for the 2025 edition of its New Faces of Comedy Showcase.
Since its inception in 1994, New Faces has been regarded as a premier launchpad, helping to propel the careers of dozens of comedy’s biggest stars — among them, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Ali Wong, Jo Koy, and Kumail Nanjiani.
This year’s program will continue to spotlight rising stand-up comics, character performers, and digital creators, while introducing a new category focused on rising talent in scripted comedy. On the Stand Up List are two comics we included on our December 2024 list of Comedians Ready To Break Out In 2025: Katherine Blanford and Chloe Radcliffe, who we profiled amid the run of her solo show Cheat.
“Each year, we sift through thousands of names from across the world to find the most original and promising comedic voices,” said Nick Brazao, Head of Programming & Talent, Just For Laughs. “This is always such an exciting time of year and we can’t wait to share this year’s class of New Faces with the world.”
Created in 1983, Just for Laughs is the largest festival in the world, focused specifically on comedy, and one of the most closely watched amongst industry professionals. The festival’s decades-long run was momentarily disrupted in 2024, when JFL cancelled that year’s shows and filed for bankruptcy protection, citing the impact of the pandemic as one factor. But that same year, Sylvain Parent-Bédard inked a deal to acquire the festival through his Quebec-based ComediHa, with the brand’s flagship comedy festival in Montreal returning for the first time in two years on July 16. We break the whole story down in a conversation with Parent-Bédard and colleagues in a recent edition of our Comedy Means Business podcast, which you can listen to at the link above.
The New Faces showcases will take place as part of JFL’s ComedyPRO industry programming between July 23 and July 26, with the festival running through the 27th.
NEW FACES: STAND UPS
Alistair Ogden
Anjelica Scannura
Aurie Styla
Bruce Gray
Chloe Petts
Chloe Radcliffe
Conor Janda
Dan Duvall
Dan Rath
Dan Tiernan
Dean Stanfield
Dvontre Coleman
Dylan Adler
Grace Johnson
Hayden Johnson
James Mwaura
Jesus Sepulveda
Jo Sunday
Katherine Blanford
Lara Ricote
Maggie Crane
Maxx Eddy
Olivia Carter
Olivia Stadler
Randee Neumeyer
Sam Biru
Steve Furey
Tom Murphy
Vittorio Angelone
Willie Simon
NEW FACES: CHARACTERS
Andres Parada
Austin Williams
Ava Bunn
Jess Elgene
Lesley Osuala
Mimi Von Schack
Miranda Rozas
Tom Hearn
NEW FACES: CREATORS in partnership with SMOSH
New Faces: Creators highlights emerging digital and social media comedy voices, character performers, and original-format innovators who are redefining how comedy is made and shared.
Evan Mulrooney
Kel Cripe
Jazz Emu
Yasmine Sahid
NEW FACES: WRITERS in partnership with More Better
This year, the showcase expands with New Faces: Writers, spotlighting rising talent in scripted comedy. Selected writers will bring their original half-hour scripts to life in live table reads featuring fellow New Faces performers.
Allie Pearse & Michael Musi (The Grande Affair)
Tai Leclaire (Bad Apples)
Tova Diker (Mason County Library)
Zavior Phillips (The Family Jewels)
Source: Deadline
