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Stand Up & Pitch: The Comedy Content Search 2016 Opens Its Door For Submissions

Presented by Just For Laughs ComedyPRO, the New York Television Festival and the International Academy of Web Television

Submission deadline: Monday, May 9, 2016

February 24, 2016 [Montreal, PQ] — Just for Laughs ComedyPRO, the New York Television Festival (NYTVF) and the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) have again teamed up for Stand Up & Pitch: The Comedy Content Search, an open-forum pitch program which takes place during Just For Laughs ComedyPRO, the industry portion of the annual Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, presented by Videotron in association with Loto-Québec.

A leading pitch program where performers and creators have their funniest ideas judged by a panel of industry executives, Stand Up & Pitch is open to anyone — comics, writers, producers or creators — working on the cutting edge of comedy. Interested individuals or teams can submit their ideas in one of two formats:

* From Set to Screen: TV, OTT, SVOD and more. Submissions are single or multi-camera scripted sit-coms, game shows, reality shows, variety, sketch or animation series intended for a half-hour per episode running time.

* Beyond the Box: Playing It Short. Submissions are digital-first shows with episode lengths no greater than 15 minutes. Pitches can include scripted, animation, factual, variety and sketch – ideas aimed at YouTube or other digital platforms.

A maximum of five projects are selected from each format. Accepted applicants are given five minutes to present their work and receive feedback from our blue-chip panel. Former panelists have included senior development and production executives from Amazon, Bell Media, CBC Punchline, CBS, CollegeHumor, Comedy Central, FOX, Fullscreen, Funny or Die, HBO, Hulu, IFC, Maker Studios, NBC, Netflix and others.

Deadline for submissions is Monday, May 9, 2016. Stand Up & Pitch: The Comedy Content Search is open to international applicants ages 18 and over. Submissions can be made online at https://comedypro.hahaha.com/pitch-your-project/. A non-refundable fee of $50.00 USD must be included with each submission.

Stand Up & Pitch success stories: Since ComedyPro launched its pitch program, several projects and creative teams have been picked-up and deals made, including:

* Josh Shultz and Ethan Cole — My 90 Year Old Roommate — 2015 — web series; in pre-production; funded by the Independent Production Fund (IPF);

* Jarred Christmas — The Nations — 2014 — web series; premieres February 29th on CBC Punchline (Canada) and TVNZ OnDemand (New Zealand);

* Lloyd Ahlquist, Aaron Krebs, Jill Goslicky — Epic Studios — 2014 — web/TV series; in production; funded by Maker Studios and the IPF;

* Nadine Djoury and Aurora Brown — Newborn Moms — 2014 — web/TV series; now streaming on CBC Punchline;

* Kyle Radke and Matt Kelly — The Phobic — 2014 — optioned by Big Beach / North South;

* Mark Little and Daniel Beirne — Dad Drives — 2012 — web series; on season completed for cracked.com;

* Nat Saunders and Chris Hayward — SOS: Save Our Skins — 2012 — web/TV series; Season 2 in production for Hollywood Suite, CONtv, BBCWorldwide;

* Mark De Angelis, Charles Ketchabaw — Bill & Sons Towing — 2011 — web series; two seasons completed for My Damn Channel.

From Set to Screen: TV, OTT, SVOD and more is presented in conjunction with the NYTVF; Beyond the Box: Playing It Short with the IAWTV.

Just For Laughs ComedyPRO runs from July 27 – 30, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Montreal.

About ComedyPRO:

Just For Laughs ComedyPRO is a unique, annual global gathering of the biggest players in the comedy industry. The event takes place during the peak industry/media/performer dates of the Just For Laughs Festival. You simply cannot get any closer than this to the people who truly make comedy happen, and in ComedyPRO’s relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, we’re all equals! Registrants for this one-of-a-kind, four-day, industry experience gain exclusive access to some of the most sought-after events in all of comedy, including keynotes, panels, in conversations, industry luncheons, cocktail parties, and exclusive live performances of comedy’s buzziest podcasts.

About the Just For Laughs Group:

Founded in 1983, the Just For Laughs Group has had but one goal in its 30-plus years of operation: make people happy. To achieve this goal, the Just For Laughs Group has focused on four major products: festivals in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney; television production including Gags seen in over 130 countries and on over 75 airlines and stand-up specials; live shows, such as Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan and the Just For Laughs Comedy Tour; and talent management. The Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival is the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy event welcoming on average 1.35 million visitors to Montreal each summer and generating approximately $80 million for the city’s economy. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and they are all connected to each other via the Internet.

About the NYTVF:

Established in 2005, the NYTVF constructs new and innovative paths of development and talent identification, while simultaneously complementing the traditional television development model. By partnering directly with networks, studios, production companies, digital platforms and brands, the NYTVF provides its Industry Partners with a streamlined development model, leveraging its vast creative community of over 15,000 independent producers and production companies, to create content with specific partners in mind. During the annual New York Television Festival – held each fall in New York City – the NYTVF brings together its top artists and industry decision-makers for a series of events designed to foster networking, collaboration and education. The Festival also marks the culmination of the organization’s yearly development efforts and features screenings of top independent content, educational panels, fan events, red carpet premieres, and more. To learn about opportunities to submit for its year-round competitions, visit http://www.nytvf.com/submit.html.

About IAWTV:

The International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) is a nonprofit organization comprised of leaders in the field of web video, and the digital entertainment industry. Founded in 2009, the IAWTV is helping to shape the rapidly evolving digital entertainment industry while providing a venue for the acknowledgement of artistic and technological achievement in original entertainment distributed on the open internet.

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