Stand-up, podcasts and movies: What to see at JFL42
There's something for everybody at JFL42: stand-up comedy, movies, live podcasts, panels and even a one-woman show from Margaret Trudeau (yes – you read that right, the prime minister's mom will take the stage).
The festival spans 10 days with events happening at venues across Toronto. How does it all work? Passes and credits give you access to any of the 42 comedy acts, panels and screenings with options to secure tickets for the headliner performances.
We know you're busy, so we've handpicked some events that you shouldn't miss.
HEADLINERS
John Mulaney & Pete Davidson headline as a pair for the first time in Canada. If you haven't seen John Mulaney on his Netflix special, you've probably heard him as the voice of nerdy pubescent boy Andrew on Big Mouth. He'll be performing alongside SNL cast member Pete Davidson.
Eric Andre. Legalize ranch. Investigate 311. If those last two sentences didn't make any sense, go watch The Eric Andre Show on Adult Swim. If hyper-absurdist surreal comedy is your style, Eric Andre is your guy. Bird up.
Gabriel Iglesias is a fluffy guy. Don't call him fat. The Latin-American comedian has been making jokes professionally for about 20 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Fun fact: Iglesias has appeared in both Magic Mike movies (yes, there's a sequel to Magic Mike), so don't miss your chance to show him some love.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection. The name of the event deserves its own sentence. The renowned comedy legend will screen clips from her shows and take questions from the audience, just like the original Carol Burnett Show. Don't miss it, this special event is only scheduled once during the entire festival.
Margaret Trudeau performs her one-woman show, Certain Woman of An Age, after sold out shows at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal. Audiences can expect insights into her marriage with former prime minister Pierre Trudeau and empowering stories about embracing mental health.
STAND-UP (AKA The 42)
JFL42's name comes from the fact that you could use your credits to see any of the 42 stand up comedians booked for the festival. While any of them are guaranteed to be a hit, check out a few of these names.
Roy Wood Jr. is no stranger to late night TV comedy – he's been a correspondent on Trevor Noah's show and he's appeared on Jimmy Fallon's late night show.
Ronny Chieng – you might have seen him on Crazy Rich Asians or his own show, Ronny Chieng: International Student. He's also a fellow correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
The El-Salomons are an unlikely couple. Jess Salomon is Jewish. Her partner, Eman El-Husseini, is Palestinian. Instead of being mortal enemies, this comedic couple spreads love and laughter in every set.
Michelle Wolf in five words: 2018 White House Correspondents dinner. The writer, comedian and executive producer has shows on Netflix, a special on HBO, and let's be honest — you probably haven't read this far — so go see her stand-up already.
Chanty Marostica gets mistaken for Justin Bieber. Or Guy Fieri in his college years. Chanty's won a Juno Award, a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-up Comic and Sirius XM's Top Comic competition. Go see Chanty.
The ComedyCon daytime programming of JFL 42 showcases live podcast recordings, movie screenings, a live script reading of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and a series of the funniest short films from creators across the world.
PODCASTS
The Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast comes to life with Scott Aukerman and special guests.
Montreal's Tranna Wintour and Thomas Leblanc record their CBC podcast Chosen Family in front of a live audience at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Why Won't You Date Me? It's not only a relatable question, it's Nicole Byer's hilarious relationship podcast. Join Nicole while she records her podcast live on the first Friday of the festival.
SCREENINGS
Sketch comedy troupe TallBoyz are showing an unreleased episode of their latest show on CBC Television. Hit up their daytime screening and Q&A moderated by CBC Music's Odario Williams to see what all the buzz is about.
Zach Galifianakis' ironic comedy talk show Between Two Ferns comes to the big screen in Between Two Ferns: The Movie. Following the screening is a Q&A panel with writer/director Scott Aukerman and actor Lauren Lapkus (Orange is the New Black). In the movie, Zach sets off an a road trip to capture a series of high-profile interviews.
Eat My Shorts has nothing to do with Bart Simpson, it's the JFL42 short film screening. These thirteen films were originally screened in Montreal during Just For Laughs. They return for a comfy encore screening at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Calling all Kimbits, the cast and creatives behind Kim's Convenience take you behind the scenes of the beloved Toronto sitcom. Simu Liu, who plays Jung on the show, won't be there — but you will be able to see him soon on the big screen.
JFL42 runs from September 19 - 29 at venues across Toronto. For more info, hit up the JFL42 website.