FILMED DURING THIS YEAR’S JFL NORTHWEST IN VANCOUVER, 12 COMICS BRING DOWN THE HOUSE IN THE NEW CBC GEM SERIES
Vancouver, BC – JFL NorthWest and Just for Laughs TV today announced the exclusive World Premiere of CBC Gem original comedy series THE NEW WAVE OF STANDUP (12x10-min), with all episodes launching Friday, July 17 on the free CBC Gem streaming service. Each of the 12 featured comics brings their diverse background, viewpoint and unique comedy style to the stage in a 10-minute set, filmed in February for a live audience at this year’s JFL NorthWest in Vancouver. Trailer: The New Wave of Standup.
The 12 rising comedic stars from across Canada include: Salma Hindy, a Muslim comic from Toronto who also happens to be a biomedical engineer; Yumi Nagashima, who arrived in Vancouver by way of Tokyo; Paul Rabliauskus, from Poplar River First Nation Reserve in Manitoba; Al Val, a bold transgender comic from Toronto; Ola Dada, a Nigerian-Canadian raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta; Toronto’s Cassie Cao, a former economist turned stand-up comedian; Vancouver’s Aaron Read who won JFL NorthWest’s “Breakout Artist of the Year;” and Calgary’s Brett Forte, who is upset with his Millennial generation...and thinks audiences should be too.
Also taking the stage is Matty Vu who produces “Yellow Fever,” Vancouver’s only comedy show by Asians for non-Asians (and also Asians); Calgary’s Brittany Lyseng who swapped her elevator mechanic job for the comedy spotlight; Vancouver standup and cartoonist Jacob Samuel; and Toronto’s Kyle Brownrigg, who was the first gay male to be awarded “Best Breakout Artist” at the Canadian Comedy Awards.
“Showcasing Canadian talent to broad audiences is part of what we do at Just for Laughs,” says Bruce Hills, President, Just for Laughs TV / Executive Producer, The New Wave of Standup. “Additionally, we’re excited to debut our very first media production from Vancouver.”
“We’re proud of the diversity and comedic talent we bring to our shows at JFL NorthWest and it was exciting to record this series live from this year’s festival,” adds Heather Wallace, Director, JFL NorthWest / Executive Producer, The New Wave of Standup. “We’re certain audiences will be seeing a lot more from these comics in the future.”
The New Wave of Standup is executive produced by Bruce Hills and Heather Wallace, produced by Heather Wallace, and directed by Trish Neufield. Supervising Producer is Anton Leo. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual and Sports; Gave Lindo is Executive Director, OTT Programming; Trish Williams is Executive Director, Scripted Content; Michelle Daly is Senior Director, Comedy; and Greig Dymond is Executive in Charge of Production.
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For more information including series synopsis, hi-res images, and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre.
About JFL NorthWest
JFL NorthWest, Vancouver’s Just for Laughs festival, takes place every February on Canada’s west coast. A draw for international headliners such as Trevor Noah, Sarah Silverman, Bill Burr and Jo Koy, the festival takes over Vancouver’s stages, comedy venues, and streets delivering a line-up of star-power stand-up, improv, podcasts, film and sketch performances, all alongside breakout comics you didn’t even know you loved!
JFL NorthWest attracted more than 50,000 comedy lovers and over 200 artists and comedians over the course of the 2020 festival, bringing the laughs to the Pacific Northwest with the quality of entertainment expected from the Just for Laughs brand. jflnorthwest.com.
About Just for Laughs Group
Founded in 1983, Just for Laughs Group is the world's largest player in the comedy industry. Under the management of the CH Group, Bell Media and ICM Partners, the company is positioning itself as an international power for multi-platform comedy content creation. Each year, it entertains millions of spectators with festivals on Canadian and international stages, from Montreal — the world's largest comedy event — to Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Bermuda. The Group programs thousands of comedians from Canada and abroad, including established and up-and-coming artists; sets up its own comedy shows and musicals; produces touring shows; broadcasts digital and television content (including Les Gags, programmed in 150 countries and followed by 10 million Users on YouTube); manages talented designers and is behind the ComedyPRO and JPR Pro professional gatherings. hahaha.com
About CBC Gem
CBC Gem is Canada’s streaming service, offering more than 5000 hours of live and on-demand Canadian programming and a curated selection of acclaimed, best-in-class content from around the world, including more than 750 documentaries, 400 hours of ad-free content for kids and tweens, and a collection of over 120 Canadian feature films. CBC Gem is available free as an App for iOS and Android devices and online at cbcgem.ca, and on TV screens via Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
For more information, please contact:
Tanya Koivusalo
Publicist, CBC Communications, Marketing & Brand
416-205-8638
tanya.koivusalo@cbc.ca
Carole Appleby
Publicist, The New Wave of Standup
778-772-2050
cdappleby@gmail.com
