Also at JFL: 'Family Guy' pic possible
MONTREAL -- It was time for some dealmaking, deal talk and talent buzz as the industry phase of the 25th annual Just for Laughs comedy festival came to an end during the weekend.
On the deal front, Canadian stand-ups Nick Beaton and Gerry Dee got agency representation after well-received performances, and Heidi Foss and Sarah Glinski walked away with CBC development deals for their TV show pitches built around siblings.
Foss' comedy idea "Four Minutes Apart", about an anti-establishment female stand-up who moves in with her upwardly mobile brother and his family, and Glinski's "Sibling Rivalry", about a young woman's changing relationship with her younger brother, convinced CBC head of comedy Anton Leo at the annual Just For Pitching panel.
It was the first time that the CBC had promised to pick at least one of the nine pitches for a development deal.
Meanwhile, the Gersh Agency signed Dee, a finalist on NBC's "Last Comic Standing", and Beaton, both currently based in Toronto.
Beaton, the runner-up Wednesday in the festival's annual Homegrown Competition of Canadian comics, entertained the audience with jokes about funny T-shirts and his Nick Beaton rules for girls.
Dee earned laughs with jokes about his teaching experience and married life.
MONTREAL -- It was time for some dealmaking, deal talk and talent buzz as the industry phase of the 25th annual Just for Laughs comedy festival came to an end during the weekend.
On the deal front, Canadian stand-ups Nick Beaton and Gerry Dee got agency representation after well-received performances, and Heidi Foss and Sarah Glinski walked away with CBC development deals for their TV show pitches built around siblings.
Foss' comedy idea "Four Minutes Apart", about an anti-establishment female stand-up who moves in with her upwardly mobile brother and his family, and Glinski's "Sibling Rivalry", about a young woman's changing relationship with her younger brother, convinced CBC head of comedy Anton Leo at the annual Just For Pitching panel.
It was the first time that the CBC had promised to pick at least one of the nine pitches for a development deal.
Meanwhile, the Gersh Agency signed Dee, a finalist on NBC's "Last Comic Standing", and Beaton, both currently based in Toronto.
Beaton, the runner-up Wednesday in the festival's annual Homegrown Competition of Canadian comics, entertained the audience with jokes about funny T-shirts and his Nick Beaton rules for girls.
Dee earned laughs with jokes about his teaching experience and married life.
- 7/23/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MONTREAL -- The Gersh Agency has signed Canadian stand-ups Nick Beaton and Gerry Dee after well-received performances here at the 25th annual Just for Laughs comedy festival.
The signings of the Toronto-based comics are the first deals to come out of the festival. Beaton on Wednesday night was the runner-up in the festival's annual Homegrown Competition of Canadian comics and late Friday became the first talent to be signed here.
He scored with jokes about funny T-shirts and his Nick Beaton Rules for Girls, among others. "Nick Beaton is a smart young comic with a great perspective," Gersh agent Doug Edley said. "We saw him perform several sets this weekend, and they were all great. The audiences loved him, and we are getting a lot of interest from buyers for him."
Former schoolteacher Dee scored laughs with material about his teaching experience and his marriage, among other things.
"Seeing Gerry Dee perform live made it very apparent that he is a great comic and someone we wanted to work with," Edley said.
The signings of the Toronto-based comics are the first deals to come out of the festival. Beaton on Wednesday night was the runner-up in the festival's annual Homegrown Competition of Canadian comics and late Friday became the first talent to be signed here.
He scored with jokes about funny T-shirts and his Nick Beaton Rules for Girls, among others. "Nick Beaton is a smart young comic with a great perspective," Gersh agent Doug Edley said. "We saw him perform several sets this weekend, and they were all great. The audiences loved him, and we are getting a lot of interest from buyers for him."
Former schoolteacher Dee scored laughs with material about his teaching experience and his marriage, among other things.
"Seeing Gerry Dee perform live made it very apparent that he is a great comic and someone we wanted to work with," Edley said.
- 7/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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