Partners Announced For Just For Laughs' Stand Up & Pitch '18, The Comedy Industry's Largest And Longest Running Pitch Program

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and Tubefilter join CBC Comedy, Project 10 Productions and Some Spider Studios as program partners for Stand Up & Pitch '18, the comedy industry's largest and longest running pitch program. The announcement was made today by Just For Laughs ComedyPRO. Now in its seventh year, Stand Up & Pitch takes place July 25 - 28, 2018 during key industry dates of the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.

"We are delighted to welcome IFP and Tubefilter as new partners of our pitch program and are pleased to announce the return of CBC Comedy, Project 10 Productions and Some Spider Studios," said Paul Ronca, Director of Industry & Special Events Programming and Strategic Partner Development at Just For Laughs. "Just For Laughs has long been the place for industry execs to discover new comedy talent. Through our pitch program we are able to extend this unique opportunity to individuals and teams working in TV and digital."

Drawing submissions from across the English-speaking world, Stand Up & Pitch: The Comedy Content Search offers 5 finalists in each of three format categories the opportunity to pitch their digital or TV concepts to a panel of senior development and production executives in a room filled with over 100 comedy decision makers and accredited observers.

Digital and TV series that have had their genesis at Stand Up & Pitch include: Fatal Murder Mystery (Shaftesbury/Just For Laughs), That's My Bus (FOX), My 90-Year-Old Roommate (CBC Comedy), Newborn Moms (CBC Comedy) and Epic Studios (Maker Studios).?

Submission deadline for Stand Up & Pitch '18 is May 7, 2018.

"CBC is delighted to partner again with Just For Laughs ComedyPRO," said Michelle Daly, Head of Comedy, CBC. "The CBC Originals Pitch Program is a great opportunity for the comedy team to discover both new TV and digital-facing series. Our audiences are responding enthusiastically to properties discovered at ComedyPRO such as How To Buy A Baby, Newborn Moms and My 90-Year-Old Roommate, and we are currently in development on Diversity League, which we found through last year's pitch program."

"Project 10 couldn't be happier to be partnering with Just For Laughs ComedyPRO and serve once again as the intersection point for the funny and the money," said Andrew Barnsley, President, Project 10 Productions. The Stand Up & Pitch initiative and Just For Laughs in general continue to serve as an ideal environment to test the marketplace and discover new voices in comedy."

"Some Spider Studios is psyched to be back as a sponsor and member of the pitch panel. With our channels Scary Mommy and The Dad we're all about breaking and making new rules in the content space. I'm really curious to see what creators will come up with this year," said Peter Putka, Executive Producer, Production & Development, Some Spider Studios.

"IFP is thrilled to partner with Just For Laughs ComedyPRO," says Joana Vicente, Executive Director, IFP. "We are always excited with the opportunity to recognize promising fresh talent and to help poise them towards channels of success. We know that Just For Laughs ComedyPRO has their finger on the pulse of great comedic content and are delighted to see what this year has in store."

"We are super excited to partner with Just For Laughs ComedyPRO, and look forward to discovering this year's best and most exciting young content creators in comedy and digital," said Joshua Cohen, Founder of Tubefilter.

Submissions can be made through the ComedyPRO website. For additional details and full submission guidelines visit: http://comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions/.

Just For Laughs ComedyPRO is the premiere event of the comedy industry, bringing together the biggest and most important players for four days of industry and cast panels, keynotes, live podcasts, networking parties, pitch sessions and one-on-one meetings. Just For Laughs ComedyPRO runs from July 25 - 28, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Montreal, part of the 36th annual Just for Laughs Festival, which takes place from July 11 - 29, 2018.

Stand Up & Pitch '18: The Comedy Content Search
Submissions Deadline: May 7, 2018

Open to comics, writers, producers and creators, Stand Up & Pitch offers three (3) pitch formats:

• From Set to Screen: TV, OTT, SVOD and More presented by Project 10 Productions in conjunction with the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP). 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. Past panelists for the From Set to Screen ???have included executives from Amazon, Bell Media, CBS, Comedy Central, FOX, FX Networks, HBO, Hulu, IFC, NBC, TBS and truTV.
• Beyond the Box: Playing It Short presented by Some Spider Studios in conjunction with Tubefilter. 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. Past panelists for the Beyond the Box have included executives from Above Average, Adult Swim, Bell Media, CollegeHumor/Big Breakfast, Funny or Die, New Form Digital, YouTube and Warner Bros' Blue Ribbon Content.
• CBC Comedy Originals Pitch Program. Submissions can be either long or short-form format. Individuals or teams submitting to this pitch must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

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! 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 Conversation' sessions, industry luncheons, cocktail parties, and exclusive live performances from comedy's buzziest podcast hosts.

Founded in 1983, the Just For Laughs Group concentrates on three major focal points: festivals (in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney); television production and stand-up specials, most notably Gags, seen in 135 countries and on 95 airlines; and live shows, including Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Jimmy Carr, Danny Bhoy, and North American dates for John Cleese & Eric Idle and Family Guy Live! to name a few. The Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, which celebrates its 36th edition in 2018, is the world's largest and most prestigious comedy event, welcoming more than 2 million people each summer. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, and London.

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 are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

Project 10 Productions Inc. is a global television Production Company with offices in Toronto and Los Angeles specializing in scripted comedy. The company works closely with high-profile talent to develop and produce compelling content for the worldwide marketplace. The principal? ????three executives for Project 10 Productions Inc. are Andrew Barnsley, Ben Murray (Toronto) and Andrew Moncrief (Los Angeles). Leveraging their considerable strengths and decades of experience with those of partner and three-time MLB All-Star Vernon Wells, Project 10 has established itself as a go-to partner for domestic and international creators, broadcasters and distributors alike.

Some Spider Studios was recently ranked as the 44th most powerful media company in the US, ahead of such notables as Discovery and Vice. With channels such as Scary Mommy and The Dad we've been quietly reaching over 100 million people a month. Now we are making a lot more noise with our new original shows and have been feverishly acquiring other content to produce or distribute, inking coproduction deals, and developing content for all screens.

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include IFP Week, IFP Labs, IFP Expanded, Filmmaker Magazine, IFP Gotham Awards, and the Made in NY Media Center by IFP, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. IFP represents an ever-growing network of 10,000+ storytellers around the world and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 40-year history, IFP has supported over 12,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000+ filmmakers. Founded in 1979, IFP is the largest and oldest not-for-profit dedicated to independent film and storytelling on all formats and platforms.

Tubefilter is the most trusted and widely read source for YouTube, online video, and digital media news, analysis, and events. Through its trade news and analysis, community events, and creator advocacy programs, Tubefilter has helped to foster the growth, promotion, and legitimization of a new, independent professional entertainment industry. Tubefilter properties include its flagship publication, Tubefilter News, the Tubefilter Charts, its popular YouTube Millionaires series, and the Streamy Awards.

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