Funny People to headline 13th Annual Just For Laughs Film Fest

The Just For Laughs Film Festival returns this year, happening from July 10-27, 2009. Films screening at the fest this year include: Humpday, OSS 117: Rio ne Repond Plus, Agathe Clery, Paper Heart, The Slammin’ Salmon, World’s Greatest Dad, Funny People and Les Doigts Croches. Independent films this year include That’s For Me!, More than Me, The Foundation, Visioneers, Margaret Cho Beautiful and Laughology. There will also be a boatload of short films in French and English.

Dates: July 10-27, 2009
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Find out more about the Just For Laughs Film Festival at www.hahaha.com.

Here is the official press release for the event:

The Just For Laughs Festival presented by Videotron is delighted to announce the 13th edition of the Just For Laughs Film Festival, presented in association with SCENE™. This year’s lineup includes premieres of more than a dozen muchanticipated feature films, the biggest collection of comedy shorts from around the globe, and a hot series of special events including appearances by silver screen celebs and Alist comedians.

The lucky 13th anniversary of the Film Festival, which runs from July 10th to 27th, will include screenings at the Imperial Theatre, at Place des Arts, and, thanks to a brand new partnership between Just For Laughs and the National Film Board, at the NFB CineRobotheque.

The darling of last year’s Festival, writerdirectorproducer Judd Apatow (The 40YearOld Virgin, Knocked Up) is in the spotlight once again this year with his latest comedy. Apatow directs Adam Sandler (You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry), Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express, Knocked Up) and Leslie Mann (Knocked Up, 17 Again) in Funny People, the story of a famous comedian who has a neardeath experience. Expect a night of unrestrained hilarity and celebrity cameos in this starstudded film, which also features Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, and RZA. Costars Aziz Ansari (Human Giant, Parks and Recreation), who took home the “Best Standup” Jury Award at HBO’s Comedy Arts Festival in 2006, and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation, Mystery Team), who will appear alongside Michael Cera in Edgar Wright’s upcoming film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, will both be at the screening on July 25, 9:30pm, at the Imperial Theatre.

Cult comedy fans are in for a treat when all five Broken Lizard members Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske (Super Troopers, Beerfest) take the stage to introduce the Canadian premiere of their newest film, Broken Lizard’s the Slammin’ Salmon. Michael Clarke Duncan (Talladega Nights, The Green Mile) is former heavyweight boxing champ Cleon Salmon, the celebrity owner of an upscale Miami restaurant. To settle a debt, the Champ offers his wait staff (enter the Broken Lizard boys) a onenightonly challenge: top selling waiter gets ten thousand bucks; lowest selling waiter gets his face punched in, courtesy of the Slammin’ Salmon himself. It all adds up to one funny, frantic night as Broken Lizard does their best Glengarry Glen Ross. Screening and Q&A July 22, 9:30pm, at the Imperial Theatre.

In World’s Greatest Dad (VVS Films), muchloved funnyman Robin Williams (Death to Smoochy, The Fisher King) plays Lance, a high school teacher who writes a fake suicide note to cover up the embarrassing accidental death of his son. When the note ends up being published—and becomes an unexpected hit—Lance sees his ticket to the successful writing career he has always wanted. Director Bobcat Goldthwait (The Man Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!) will be at the screening, July 23, 9:30pm, at the Imperial Theatre.

In Humpday (Maple Pictures), actors Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project) and Mark Duplass (whose film Baghead screened at the 2008 Festival) take their bromance to a terrifying new level when a mutual dare launches them headlong into a gay porn art project. Indie director Lynn Shelton’s buddy film gone wild was a big hit at South by Southwest earlier this year. Join star Joshua Leonard at the screening on July 17, 7pm, at the Imperial Theatre.

Sundance hit Paper Heart (Alliance Vivafilm), written by 23yearold Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up, SemiPro) and featuring her and reallife beau Michael Cera (Year One, Juno) in the lead roles, is the partdocumentary, partautobiography, alladorable story of two young actors trying to understand love. Writeractor Charlyne Yi and actor Jake Johnson will introduce the film on July 21, 7pm, at the Imperial Theatre.

Francophone film fans can check out hometown hero Anthony Kavanagh and twotime Césarwinner Valérie Lemercier as they hit the silver screen in Agathe Cléry (Alliance Vivafilm), a film by Belgian filmmaker Étienne Chatiliez about race, prejudice, and overnight transformation. Anthony Kavanagh will be at the screening, July 20, 7pm, at the Imperial Theatre.

Opening this year’s Festival is the Canadian premiere of OSS 117: Lost in Rio (TVA Films). France’s kookiest and most famous secret agent, played by Jean Dujardin, is returning to Montreal to promote his latest film, which has already sold more than 2.5 million tickets in France. Director Michel Hazanavicius and Jean Dujardin will be on hand for this screening which opens the Festival, July 10 at 7pm, at the Imperial Theatre.

Writer Ken Scott (The Rocket), whose film Seducing Doctor Lewis (La grande seduction) was featured in the 2003 Festival, makes his directorial debut with Les doigts croches (Alliance Vivafilm), starring Roy Dupuis (Shake Hands with the Devil, The Rocket). A film about a gang of aging criminals who are offered a last chance at an honest life. The cast and crew will be present as Les doigts croches closes this year’s festival, on July 27, 7pm, at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts.

If indie’s more your thing, head on down to the NFB CineRobotheque for the newest in independent comedy films from around the world, as part of a brand new partnership between Just For Laughs and the National Film Board of Canada.

Leading the way on the indie side of the programming is Visioneers, a dark but hilarious look at the daily lives of deskjobbers. Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) plays a man trying to ignore the fact that his coworkers are literally exploding from stress (July 24, 7pm, NFB CineRobotheque).

More Than Me, directed by William Philbin, stars established slacker Jim Breuer (Half Baked, Clerks, Saturday Night Live) and is the funny but poignant reallife story of his life on the road with his most faithful tour companion—his father. Jim Breuer will be present for this premiere screening of his debut film (July 22, 7pm, NFB CineRobotheque).

In Laughology, Montreal director Albert Nerenberg (Stupidity) brings a little theory to the comedy festival, as he examines the science and history of laughter. Both he and Doug Collins—the man with the world’s most contagious laugh!—will be at the screening (July 22, 9pm, NFB CineRobotheque).

With The Foundation, Montrealbased indie director Michael Dowse (FUBAR) again teams up with actor Mike Wilmot (It’s All Gone Pete Tong), but this time it’s for TV. Join director Michael Dowse, actors Mike Wilmot, Martin Sims, and Rebecca Northan, and the rest of the cast and crew for screenings of two episodes of this irreverent fivepart television series—slated to air on Showcase later this year—about corruption in the world of philanthropy (July 23, 7pm, NFB CineRobotheque).

Beautiful is the new film from outrageous standup veteran Margaret Cho (AllAmerican Girl, The Cho Show). Shot on tour at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, California, Cho’s latest film explores the good, bad, and downright ugly sides of beauty (July 25, 7pm, NFB CineRobotheque).

From UK filmmaker Claudia Solti, That’s For Me! is a biting satire on the quest for fame and the depths to which one young woman will sink in order to make it in show biz (July 20, 7pm, NFB CineRobotheque).

All Just For Laughs Film Festival screenings at the NFB CineRobotheque are $10. All Red Carpet Premiere screenings at both the Imperial Theatre and Place des Arts are $15. At the Just For Laughs Box Office, show your SCENE card and save 20% on admission; show your CAA card and save 15%.