Nine diverse Indigenous comedians from all over Canada will star and perform in the first all Indigenous and all Canadian stand-up comedy feature film “Laugh Proud” and a live comedy event, world premiering and to be shot on Saturday June 15, 2024, at Vancouver’s historic Metro Theatre.
The feature film is produced and co-directed by Keith Nahanee, rising Squamish nation comic and filmmaker, and Comedy Invasion creator Quentin Lee, a 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominee. It is also produced by Comedy Invasion producer Cindy AuYeung, 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominee.
Innovative in both format and concept, Rez Comedy is simultaneously the first all Canadian and all Indigenous live showcase and a feature film documentary to world premiere and be shot on June 15. 2024, at 8 pm at Vancouver’s historic Metro Theatre Center which was established in 1930s originally as the Marpole Movie Theatre at 1370 Marine Dr SW in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The 90 min. stand-up comedy concert documentary film will feature eight diverse Indigenous stand-up comedians from all over Canada each doing a 10 min. set produced, co-directed and hosted by Keith Nahanee, the rising Squamish nation comic.
Tickets and other information are available on: rezcomedy.ca
Quentin Lee’s LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy feature film Laugh Proud will be released on May 30 on AAM.tv worldwide and other platforms:
Here’re bios for the key creatives:
KEITH “BUBBAS” NAHANEE is a producer and comic from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw – Squamish Nation, BC, who is producing, co-directing and starring in Rez Comedy as the host. His television episode “Comedy Invasion: Rez Style” is nominated for a 2024 Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Special.
BRENDA PRINCE is an Anishinabe comedian living on stolen Coast Salish Territory. She started performing stand-up in 2019 and is the winner of the Showcase Showdown 2023. She has performed at the Arctic Comedy Festival, Paris, Prague and Barcelona.
WAYNE ALEXIS is a comic from Stó:lō Nation from Cheam band.
JANELLE NILES is a Two-spirited Black – Mi’kmaq woman from Sipekne’katik, Nova Scotia. Janelle’s comedy career began in 2019. Fast tracking her career she has performed with Just For Laughs Toronto in 2022 with Got Land? Indigenous comedy show and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival 2023. She appeared on Family Feud Canada representing Truro, Nova Scotia and on CTV’s brand new game show Battle of the Generations. She has also made appearances on APTN’s Michif Country Season 3, Indigenous Day live and has a documentary on CBC GEM & Crave Called Janelle Niles: Inconvenient. Janelle hopes to perform one day in New York City. Her humour is described as eccentric yet captivating.
HELENA PAUL is a comic from Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (father’s side) and from the farm land in Chilliwack (Mothers side) with added relations from Skowkale First Nations (Stó:lō Nation). She’s been performing since elementary school from winning speech contests, to theatre, short films, master emceeing and then she started doing comedy in 2004. She is also a member of chillsounds in Chilliwack BC- bringing local talent to light.
KEVIN SHAWANDA is a comic from Birch Island, Ontario.
DENISE B. McLEOD (She/Her) is a proud urban IndigiQueer Anishinaabekwe, she is a comedian/storyteller, and burlesque performer. Denise is a co-founder of Manifest Destiny’s Child Comedy Collective , The NDN Act Sketch Comedy Troupe and founder of IndigiBabes Burlesque. Denise’s art is grounded in challenging and changing narratives of dominant culture, colonization, colonialism and patriarchy.
CHUCK CEASE is a comic from Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Cree First Nation, Saskatchewan.
DREA OMER is a comic from Saskatchewan.
CINDY AU YEUNG (producer and editor) is a 2024 Canadian Screen Awards nominee and has produced and edited Comedy Invasion, the all Canadian and all diverse stand-up comedy TV series, and Jonah, a science-fiction horror feature.
QUENTIN LEE (producer and director) is a 2024 Canadian Screen Awards nominee and winner of the 2020 Roddenberry Foundation Impact Awards for TV creators, a member of the Producers Guild of America, Canadian Media Producers Association and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Directors + Producers Peer Group), Quentin is a multimedia creator and has directed and produced over ten feature films and created three TV series. His latest feature Last Summer of Nathan Lee is Emmy® 2024 qualified for Outstanding Television Movie and Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Nominated for Best Comedy Special at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, their all Canadian and all diverse stand-up comedy TV series Comedy Invasion is streaming on Amazon Freevee, The Roku Channel and Tubi.
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