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JFL Montreal “Eat My Shorts” Short Film Competition Taking Submissions

film contest, just for laughs, kevin hart, lionsgate, montreal, open call, short film, submissions

Just For Laughs and Kevin Hart are holding a short film contest called “Eat My Shorts” that will not only have 5 films screen at the one and only JFL Montreal Comedy Festival in July, but have one filmmaker/team get a development deal through the LOL website/app.

Submission rules/guidelines:
-They’re looking for films that speak to diverse, multicultural, millennial audience
-Total running time must be no less than 3 nor more than 22 minutes in length (including credits)
-All languages will be accepted but subtitles must be in English
-Submission deadline is May 13th.

Best of all, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win.

Get more details and submit here.

Little Hours Red Band Trailer Plays Like Spiritual Sequel to Monty Python and the Holy Grail

alison brie, aubrey plaza, dave franco, fred armisen, jeff baena, kate micucci, little hours, nick offerman, red band trailer

Little Hours is a raunchy, unfiltered comedy set in medieval times juxtaposing the sort of comedy that might star Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Aubrey Plaza, Kate Micucci, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, and Fred Armisen, but have nun, king, and peasant costumes.

That being the case of writer/director Jeff Baena’s latest work, you can see in the trailer how this could almost be the origin story of the “perilous” Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

Also, we loved that the Catholic League calls it, “Pure trash,” and that pull quote is featured in this trailer.

So, look for Little Hours to hit theaters on June 30th.

Desus and Mero Are Taping in LA for the Week

desus and mero, desus nice, kid mero, viceland

Desus and Mero Are Taping in LA for the Week

One of late night’s most exciting newcomers, Desus and Mero on Viceland, are spending the week here in LA to tape their show.

They even did a fun evening in front of a standing room only crowd with Deadline last night.

They don’t do live audiences for taping their episodes, but, maybe, just maybe, you’ll catching doing a remote segment like this one where Mero “puts on a three point clinic” at the Venice courts.

Problematic with Moshe Kasher Premieres Tonight

comedy central, moshe kasher, problematic

At 10PM, Moshe Kasher is going to tackle the issues, warts and all, only like Moshe can. That means exploring all angles and weaving some of the sharpest senses of humor around.

Don’t miss out on the premiere of Problematic with Moshe Kasher tonight.

For 2017-2018, Comedy Central Announces a Reggie Watts Competition, New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle, and Pilots from Arturo Castro, Neal Brennan, Noël Wells, and Awkwafina

awkafina, baron vaughn, chris kelly, comedy central, neal brennan, new negroes, noel wells, open mike eagle, reggie watts, taskmaster

For 2017-2018, Comedy Central Announces a Reggie Watts Competition, New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle, and Pilots from Arturo Castro, Neal Brennan, Noël Wells, and Awkwafina

It was already enticing enough to hear what Comedy Central has lined-up with late night thus far between Moshe Kasher, The President Show with Atamanuik’s Trump, Jim Jefferies, and Jordan Klepper’s new show.

Now, they’ve got a whole new chunk of programming and pilots that give a lot to look forward to.

Taskmaster, from Alex Horne, has Reggie Watts hosting a competition as the “taskmaster” between comedians performing “stupefying tasks”. New Negroes will be the TV adaptation of the live showcase hosted by Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle featuring new black talent.

Comedy Central has also upped their digital series Alternatino with Arturo Castro and Delco Proper from John McKeever and Tommy Pope to full fledged TV pilots.

The other pilots include projects such as Neal Brennan interviewing celebrity guests in their home town, former Nightly Show contributor Franchesca Ramsey perhaps repackaging The Nightly Show, and a stand-up show from Jak Knight.

Scripted half-hour pilots include a South Side Chicago based comedy from Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle and Sultan Salahuddin, a Queens based comedy following rapper/actress/comedian Awkwafina, an Austin based sitcom from Noël Wells, and an existential sibling comedy from Chris Kelly & Sarah Schneider.

From this, we can only hope that Comedy Central reaffirms its place in comedy going forward as Netflix, HBO, and FX are currently riding the high tides of critical praise and awards.

canadian film, cinefamily, fairfax, free screening, guy maddin, hollywood, ivan reitman, meatballs, melrose, national canadian film day, rick moranis, strange brew, weho

Cinefamily and USC School of Cinematic Arts will be honoring National Canadian Film Day (yes, that’s real) with a great line-up of back-to-back-to-back screenings, which mostly included off-beat comedy gems from up North.

Included in the day’s line-up will be Guy Maddin’s Saddest Music in the World, Ivan Reitman’s Meatballs, and the classic Strange Brew. Additionally, Denis Villeneuve will be in person doing a Q&A after a screening of his drama Incendies.

Admission is free, but rolling, and Cinefamily Black Card members get priority entry. Also, know that, “Poutine and other Canadian foods and libations will be served for our all day marathon.”

Get more details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

Via Airbnb, You Can Ride Along with The Comedy Bureau for an Evening

airbnb, experimental comedy, improv comedy, indie comedy, local tours, los angeles, podcast taping, sketch comedy, stand up, tourism, tours, underground comedy, what to do, what to see

UCB’s Cool Sh*t/Weird Sh*t taking the show into a convenience store, Hollywood

Airbnb has officially launched an exciting new “experiences” program where local experts can show visitors places and happenings that usually only denizens of that city could know and love.

Our founder, Jake Kroeger, is indeed hosting one of those experiences, a “Comedy Bureau Ride Along”.

Basically, we here at The Comedy Bureau see the best comedy in LA seven nights a week to keep tabs on what’s going on and what’s worth telling our readers about.

Good Heroin at Stories in Echo Park, Photo by Kelly Dwyer

So, if you want to see what we see and hang with us as we make the rounds around the LA comedy scene, you can book us for a night here.

Moses Storm literally connecting to his audience with a specially made sweater at UCB Franklin

For your money, we’ll cover all admission to shows we go to, let you grab a ride with us from spot to spot, and hang with us after with comedians wherever that may be. Think of it like a police ride-along, but it’s for comedy and it’s with one of the most highly regarded authorities in LA comedy.

As you can see above and below, we really go wherever we have to for a hearty laugh. There are limited spots for our ‘ride along’, two per night in fact, and we’ve already got people reserving their spots. So, you might want to act on this fast.

Again, get more details and reserve your spot for the experience right now right here.

Alex {Hanpeter] and Jude [Tedmori] having a bit of innocent, “harmless” fun at their “What A Time to Be Alive” show, Photo by Joel Mandelkorn

Al Madrigal Has a New Hour Special “Shrimpin Ain’t Easy” Coming to Showtime Next Month

al madrigal, comedy special, showtime, shrimpin aint easy, stand up

Al Madrigal has been busy juggling so many things these days that you might forget he always has stand-up up his sleeve. The Daily Show, a special on Fusion, part head of All Things Comedy, and a role on I’m Dying Up Here are just a handful of things that Al’s doing right now.

In fact, on top of all of that, Al’s got a new hour special, his first in a few years, coming out on Showtime called Shrimpin Ain’t Easy. Here’s a small teaser.

Look for the premiere on Friday, May 5th at 9PM on Showtime.

2017 Big Pine Comedy Festival Is Now Taking Submissions

arizona, big pine, comedy festival, flagstaff, improv, sketch, stand up, submissions

If you’re looking to do a comedy festival that’s not too far from LA, perhaps look into performing at The Big Pine Comedy Festival in Flagstaff, AZ.

The submissions for stand-up, improv, sketch, and podcasts are now open and fees and deadlines are as follows:

Stand-up
Early Bird Submission: $25 – March 6th to April 2nd
Open Submissions: $35 – April 3rd to May 7th
Late to The Party: $45 – May 8th to June 4th

Improv/Sketch
Early Bird Submission: $35 – March 6th to April 2nd
Open Submissions: $45 – April 3rd to May 7th
Late to The Party: $55 – May 8th to June 4th

Podcast
Submission: $15 – March 22nd to May 7th
Late to The Party: $45 – May 8th to June 4th

Get more details and submit here.

The Veep Universe Expands with Updated Jonah Ryan, Richard Splett Websites and Selina Meyer Fund for Adult Literacy

hbo, jonah ryan, julia louis dreyfus, parody, richard splett, sam richardson, satire, timothy simons, veep

The Veep Universe Expands with Updated Jonah Ryan, Richard Splett Websites and Selina Meyer Fund for Adult Literacy

Maybe it’s because it’s just a fictional reality versus our actual reality, but Jonah’s latest foibles with his public image via his own website, Selina’s desperate attempt to seem caring and likable, and Richard Splett’s “engrossing” blog make for a world that seems a little better than our own.

So, do enjoy the rabbit hole of bonus interactive content that Veep has gifted us all for season six, which includes a Selina Meyer “on-line literacy test”.

AOK Explores the Darker Side of Family Dinners with “Steaks!”

aok, dark comedy, eric moneypenny, kate freund, michael e peter, michael gabriel, sketch comedy, steaks

AOK’s latest shows the dangers of when family dinners deviate from expectations, especially when it comes to the particular family in this sketch.

Watch and enjoy Steaks! here.

aron kader, broken relationships, comedy show, erin foley, hollywood, hollywood highland, los angeles, michelle miracle, museum, storytelling

The heartbreak storytelling show, Breaker/Broken, returns to its perfect venue, The Museum of Broken Relationships, tomorrow night.

Comedy folks Erin Foley, Aron Kader, Matt Price, Diana Dinerman, Hayley Terris, and host/creator Michelle Miracle will share their tales amidst the collection of objects that symbolize the end of relationships of all shapes and sizes.

Tickets are $10 and you can (and really should) get your tickets here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

Comedy Crawl and Open Mic Run for Next Week and Beyond Updated (4/17/17)

4/20, 420, comedy shows, improv, los angeles, sketch comedy, stand up

Comedy Crawl and Open Mic Run for Next Week and Beyond Updated (4/17/17)

Following this Easter weekend, there’s plenty of comedy all around LA, especially because 4/20 is happening this week.

Check our listings here.

The New MST3K Riffs on Stranger Things

baron vaughn, crossover, duffer brothers, hampton yount, jonah ray, mst3k, mystery science theater 3000, stranger things

Whether you’re wishing for a crossover Netflix properties Stranger Things and MST3K or if you’re curious to see a bit of how the new crew of Jonah Ray, Baron Vaughn, and Hampton Yount are at the helm of heckling movies whilst in space, there’s something for both of you.

Please enjoy the new Mystery Science Theater 3000 gang riffing on Stranger Things.

Veep Season 6 Premieres Tonight

david mandel, hbo, julia louis dreyfus, veep

Just a friendly neighborhood reminder that one of the best and most relevant comedies on TV is returning for its sixth season.

Don’t miss the season 6 premiere of Veep tonight at 10:30PM on HBO.

anna seregina, cheap comedy, comedy show, dr brown, jetxo, los angeles, lyric hyperion, natalie palamides, phil burgers, silverlake, sleepover

This week, The Big Sleep Over will combine an old fashioned sleepover with the magic of a comedy show. Some of our favorite performers including Jetzo, Dr. Brown, Anna Seregina, and Natalie Palamides will dazzle with a show, then have pizza, pillow fights, ouija boards and more.

You can tickets for just the show for $5 or both the show and the sleepover for $8 (those are limited). Get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

Rick and Morty VR Game “Virtual Rick-Ality” Finally Arriving on 4/20

adult swim, dan harmon, htc vive, justin roiland, mobile game, oculus rift, owlchemy labs, rick and morty, virtual reality, vr game

If there’s a thing that VR would be great for, it’d definitely be adventures in the Rick and Morty universe, or universes rather, where portal guns can you take you pretty much anywhere that Harmon and Roiland have thought up.

Just a few days from now, on 4/20, Virtual Rick-ality will bring that VR experience to HTC Vive and Oculus.

Here’s the teensiest preview in this teaser that should get you hyped for this even if you’ve been skeptical of VR over the years.

beverly grove, chris fleming, coronet theatre, largo, los angeles, stand up, weho, west hollywood

Not only is one of our favorites Chris Fleming going on a nice tour up and down the West Coast, but he’ll be playing the prestigious Largo here in LA this summer.

Tickets are $30 and you can (and really should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

Please Get Jim Tews’ Debut Album “I Was in Band”

comedy album, i was in band, jim tews, rooftop comedy, stand up

Though some of you may know Jim Tews as a cat whisperer of sorts that wrote Felines of New York, we’d hope that you were able to catch and enjoy him doing stand-up in and throughout NYC (and elsewhere) over the last couple of years like we have.

Tews, while unassuming in his persona, exudes a polite, subtle charm. This first album “I Was in Band” gives a great introduction to Jim and really shows off his knack for molding great comedy from his sensitivity to the world around him.

I Was In Band is out now from Rooftop Comedy and available on iTunes and Bandcamp.

Trailer for “Dear White People” Promises Series That Looks Just as Delightfully Biting as the Movie

dear white people, justin simien, netflix, trailer

Three years ago, the feature film Dear White People sent waves through the film festival circuit as a biting satirical comedy about race relations these days.

Now, the movie has been adapted for Netflix by the original film’s writer/director Justin Simien as a series and the trailer released this week seems like it will maintain the whip smart humor of the movie.

Dear White People, the series, starts streaming on Netflix on Friday, April 28th.

Colbert’s Late Show Midnight Confessions to Be Made Into a Book

cbs, confessional, late show, midnight confessions, simon & schuster, stephen colbert

Colbert’s Late Show Midnight Confessions to Be Made Into a Book

In addition to Colbert’s rise to the top of late night in these tense times, Colbert and company have found a reliable go-to recurring segment with “Midnight Confessions”.

The bit that has Stephen Colbert in an confessional admitting to the audience and viewers what he doesn’t have time to do at an actual church is one of the longest enduring segments on the show.

Now, it’ll be a book coming out later this year on September 5th from Simon & Schuster. As the book probably won’t be just one-liners the whole way through, you’ve got to wonder what other sort of “confessions”, stories, etc. that Colbert will have in there.

The audiobook version that will accompany this release ought to be a really fun bonus as well.

cry videos, david gborie, hollywood, iliza shlesinger, jackie kashian, jason webb, jay mohr, kp anderson, los angeles, matt lieb, meltdown comics, nerdmelt, stand up, valerie tosi

Basically, Follow That! pits comedians into having to follow the screening of heart wrenching, highly emotional videos. The emotional roller coaster that you go on combined with the inevitable curiosity that you’ll have to see what a comic will do after seeing a tearjerker is indeed pretty great.

The next edition of Follow That! is set for the end of this month and you can (and should) get your tickets here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

The Revived Mystery Science Theater 3000 Is Finally Here

baron vaughn, day, felicia, hampton yount, joel hodgson, jonah ray, mst3k, mystery science theater 3000, patton oswalt

You might have been waiting for years and years and years for brand new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Following a record breaking Kickstarter campaign last year by MST3K creator Joel Hodgson, the wait is now over.

All 14 feature length episodes of the brand spankin’ new MST3K featuring Jonah Ray, Baron Vaughn, Hampton Yount, Felicia Day, and Patton Oswalt are here now, streaming on Netflix.

We can’t speak for you, but we’re pretty sure this takes precedent over watching the new Fate of the Furious movie or pretty much anything else this weekend.

Trailer for “Another Evil” Shows That Being an Annoying Human Being Can Be Monstrous Too

another evil, carson mell, dan bakkedahl, horror comedy, steve zissis, trailer

Writer/director Carson D. Mell’s feature film debut is a very intriguing mesh of horror and comedy.

Another Evil shows that someone who is a so-called ‘ghost assassin’ can be just as bothersome as spirits who won’t stop haunting you. That premise and Mell’s pedigree of writing on Silicon Valley and Eastbound & Down has got us on board for what could very well be an “anti-buddy comedy”.

See all of this for yourself in the trailer, then look for its release on May 5th.

Harris Phest, an Annual Celebration of Harris Wittels, Started by His Sister, Will Take Place on 4/20

harris phest, harris wittels, Houston, texas, twittels

There will be plenty of things for people all over the country to do on 4/20.

May we suggest, if you’re in or around Houston, TX going to the very 1st Annual Harris Phest, a celebration put together by Harris’ sister Stephanie Wittels Wachs of the late Harris Wittels, at 8th Wonder Brewery.

There will be presenting the best Parks and Rec scenes written by Harris, a reading of some of his best tweets, a performance from a Phish cover band, A Live One, and a live stand-up show. It’s as Wittels as you can get pretty much.

Proceeds from the show will go to benefit the Harris Wittels Fund at High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston.

Get more details here.