Just For Laughs to return this July with hybrid programming

Here’s some great news for comedy fans.

After an unpredictable 2020 that forced every festival taking place after mid-March to cancel, Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal has announced their 2021 dates. JFL will be back during their usual dates from July 15th until the 31st. Festival organizers are still “determining the scope” to see how much of it will be virtual and how much will be in person, they did have some initial announcements.

First off, the “industry” portion of the festival known as ComedyPRO will be 100% virtual this year, taking place the last week of July like usual on the 28th-31st. According to the official release, “Providing access on a global scale to passholders, this year’s four-day event will feature some of its most popular events such as their pitch sessions, illustrious New Faces showcases, network meetings with powerbrokers, keynotes and in-depth conversations with the most influential and impactful voices in comedy as they tackle many prominent business topics; including assessing the current state of the industry, and discussing plans to move forward to invigorate the comedy industry.” More information can be found on their website.

They also announced some submissions and deadlines. First up, the annual short film festival, Eat My Shorts, are open for submissions between now and May 21st, that will be streamed digitally from July 26th-31st. Also back is Batter Up! If you have a killer idea for a series, this is your chance to have a panel of industry vets hear your pitch. Submissions are open now until May 14th. Also returning is Beyond The Box: Playing It Short, where you can submit your best short-form comedy content that doesn’t exceed 15 minutes. Those submissions are also open until May 14th. All submissions can go here.

Additional line-ups and information should be released within the coming months. But this definitely gives us hope for what’s coming in the future.

Latest Videos