Comedy Enthusiasts Gather Again for the Los Angeles Comedy Fest

Comedy fans get a chance for laughs on the comedy scene at the twice-yearly Los Angeles Comedy Fest. From Nov. 10-20, the festival offers a packed schedule featuring comedy movies, TV, podcasts, panels, and live standup.

The festival first started out as a few days of sketch comedy. A spring fling was added to showcase comedy in other platforms. With both events flourishing, organizers combined the festivals as a biannual affair at  the Let Live Theatre, near La Brea Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.

The festival offers a platform for fresh faces in comedy to get their work seen by agents, managers, casting directors, and television networks who are seeking the next big thing on the comedy landscape.

Participants also have the opportunity to network with colleagues and comedy veterans. Sometimes the event has led to career opportunities. Previous participants Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney have joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live,” another had a short film win an Academy Award, while others were able to score development deals.

Honors are given to films in categories such as “Kickass Features,” “Kickass Shorts” and “Kickass Screenplay” and the best acting, writing, and directing.

The festival is not just for industry professionals, it’s also a chance for comedy enthusiasts to take a break from life’s woes and enjoy a few laughs at the screening and events. Some of the offerings this year include short film “Hollywood Mom,” starring Ellen Barkin and Christopher Lloyd, about a family embarking on a reality show to pay the bills. Short “Everything’s Gonna Be OK” is about a man and his puppet starring Clayton Farris. Also screening is TV pilot “Starting Out,” which follows a lawyer trading in her professional career for a life in stand-up. Feature “And Punching the Clown” is about a singer-songwriter who has to decide if he wants his failed life adapted to the screen; the movie stars Henry Phillips, Tig Notaro, Sarah Silverman, Mike Judge, and J.K. Simmons. Live performers include Nichole Bloom and Elizabeth Guest, a.k.a. the “Nice Girls.”

The Los Angeles Comedy Fest is scheduled Nov. 10-20 at Let Live Theatre. Tickets are here.