Celebrating its tenth anniversary after a two-year pandemic hiatus. JUST FOR LAUGHS TORONTO is back and on till October 1, 2022. The Comedy Festival has stepped it up this year, reaching a wider audience than ever with the addition of ComedyCon, a Street Festival with food and drink vendors, plus live musical and Comedy performances. plus so much more. But above this, the names in town for the Festival this year are bigger than ever with the likes of John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, Craig Robinson, Craig Ferguson, Marc Maron, Issa Rae, Trixie & Katya and several others, gracing the City at multiple venues around the City. Adapting to shifts in how we see and consume our Comedy, JUST FOR LAUGHS more than ever is placing its focus on an even more inclusie lineup of talent, expanding now to include TikTok personalities, Podcasters, Drag Queens, among others. There truly is something for everyone at the Festival this year.
We were so thrilled to get to see a number of shows at the Festival, back bigger than ever!
If you’ve never before witnessed the magic that is Atsuko, you are in for a treat. Her Comedy is smart, giving us a unique lens, as an Asian female immigrant in an interracial relationship. Her observations are sharp, with the ability to be expressive also physically. A definite rising star who played multiple shows at the Festival this year, and has an HBO Special on the way.
These RuPaul’s Drag Race Alumni truly have built an empire of their own with their hilarious, playful banter and they treated fans to a full-on production at Meridian Hall lasting 2.5 hours with an intermission even! Fans got a couple chances to see them, including a taping of their Podcast THE BALD & THE BEAUTIFUL, where they got candid about everything from massages, to their thoughts on leaving Drag which you can hear on their upcoming Podcast. Fans even got a chance to buy autographs and photo ops after the taping! Drag stars Priyanka, Olivia Lux and Tynomi Banks even were in attendance!
This Funnywoman continues to bring the laughs, catching our attention with her hilarious improvised videos which gave gone viral. Remember her “Hi Gay!” Pride month celebration video? We still laugh about it to this day! Stalter also stars in Emmy-winning HACKS on HBO Max, and continues to be a huge star on the rise. Case in point, she was brunching with the likes of Amy Schumer, Trixie and Katya even! Her very interactive show was absolutely bonkers, and even without a clear structure, she still brought the laughs, playing three shows at The Royal.
These RuPaul’s Drag Race fan favourites who have a Podcast together, SIBLING RIVALRY, teamed together again on the Beneva Stage for a free show along with up-and-coming Comedian PINK FOXX on the first Friday of the Festival. A huge turnout!
This was a real joy! I’ve always loved Busy Philipps but getting to just hear her talk about her life and adventures in parenting was amazing. Joined by Podcast partner Caissie St. Onge, they brought Atusko out also for a quick chat. We learned all about Philipps’ struggles getting her daughter Harry Styles tickets and does she get to meet Harry? You need to listen to this upcoming Podcast episode and find out. So good!
When you think of this Funnyman, star of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Killing It, Music probably doesn’t come first. But he’s here to deliver laughter, soul and funk with Band, The Nasty Delicious on the Beneva Stage. A free show for all! You must scroll along in the carousel above to see his amazing entrance.
We’ve missed Craig Ferguson and his amazing run on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He is taking his show on the road and Toronto was so lucky to have him at the Festival, which he actually drove to in his pick-up truck! Ferguson played two shows at Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
A Recap Reel:
There is still so much to see at JUST FOR LAUGHS TORONTO. Check here for tickets and schedules.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
*All captured on the Samsung S22*
By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Today was the official start of the 2019 SXSW Festival and it didn’t disappoint.
The day began with a bunch of conferences from those in the Tech world, like Pricilla Chan, to those in the Film industry, such as Busy Phillips. Earlier in the day Chan spoke about the work and impact the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is doing. Later on in the afternoon, Phillips sat down and had a talk with her close friend Hillary Kerr. The two spoke about the career Phillips has had and her new late-night talk show Busy Tonight which airs on E! Network.
But the main event for the day was the World Premiere and Opening Night Film Us directed and written by Jordan Peele. For films at SXSW, people typically begin lining-up about two hours in advance, at most. However, for Us, the line began a whopping six hours in advance. By the time that two-hour mark hit, it was a guessing game of if you were going to get in or not. Thankfully, we made it in and it was worth the wait. We were also treated to many Cast and Crew being there, such as Jordan Peele, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss and more. All stayed after the show for a Q&A. To know more about this anticipated Film, make sure to check out our Review here.
Film isn’t the only thing of focus at SXSW, they also have a wide selection of Television events. Tonight was the What We Do In The Shadows Premiere and Executive Producers Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement were on hand to introduce the upcoming FX Series based on their cult classic Mockumentary. They were quick to put on quite the two-man show for the audience. Each made jokes about turning their Film into a TV show. Waititi also spoke of Toronto during his hilarious banter with Clement. Waititi said the show takes place in Staten Island, even if it looks like Toronto. This was in reference to the Vampires on the show living on Staten Island, but production taking place in Toronto.
At the end of the night, 6th Street was bright with the glow of lights coming from the restaurants and bars. There was a smell of street food wherever you walked with the sounds of after parties and students heading out for the weekend in the background.
Day Two has more marquee premieres with The Beach Bum and Long Shot. We received word that Matthew McConaughey and Isla Fisher will be on hand for the former and that Seth Rogen and Charlie Theron will be here for Long Shot Premiere. There are also some pop-up events and conferences featuring Amber Heard and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. So keep checking back here for more updates as we go!
(Photo credit: Amanda Gilmore)
It’s been like forever since we’ve heard from Amy Schumer! The new Trailer for I FEEL PRETTY, her latest Comedy which tackles self-image, just was released today and we admit, it looks pretty funny! And we must admit we are intrigued by Michelle Williams in a Comedy.
Synopsis:
In I FEEL PRETTY an ordinary woman who struggles with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy on a daily basis wakes from a fall believing she is suddenly the most beautiful and capable woman on the planet. With this newfound confidence she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed?
The Cast includes: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Rory Scovel, Emily Ratajkowski, Aidy Bryant, Busy Phillips, Tom Hopper with Naomi Campbell and Lauren Hutton.
See the Trailer:
eOne Films release I FEEL PRETTY Friday, June 29, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com