Just for Laughs Comedy Festival Returns with a Landmark Birthday

variety.com:

Stuart Miller This year, Just for Laughs has plenty to celebrate. After the COVID pandemic forced the legendary Montréal comedy fest to go completely virtual in 2020 and a hybrid of virtual and live — but with some shows shipped out to New York and Los Angeles — in 2021, Just for Laughs is back in full force in its hometown this July.

And it’s a milestone: this is the 40th anniversary of the iconic festival, with a star-studded gala show planned for July 30 as a capstone on the event.

JFL continues adapting to the streaming world in the pandemic’s aftermath and will celebrate its role as a developer of new talent with Kevin Hart, Pete Holmes and Taylor Tomlinson, who got early breaks there, returning in very different roles.

Tomlinson is receiving the Breakout Comedy Star of the Year award. Yet, even though the past will be present throughout this year’s event, president Bruce Hills says this is not the time for looking backward. “This is largely about our next 40 years and putting ourselves in a great place for years to come.”The festival, while keeping its focus on finding and promoting stand-up comics, also strives to anticipate and influence where things are headed. “Comedy is always changing and we want to help set the trends — from the talent we chose and their style of comedy to our ComedyPro conference panels — and we also are investing in trends that we see,” says Robyn Kaszor, vice president of festivals.JFL, along with its Off-JFL and ComedyPro panels and other events, takes over 25 venues all within walking distance of each other for two weeks, creating a sense of community and a “summer camp” atmosphere, Hills says.