Just for Laughs (in French Juste Pour Rire) is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec. It is the largest festival of its kind in the world. It began in 1983 as a Francophone event and introduced its English language side in 1985. The month-long schedule showcases French speaking comics during the first half, and English speakers in the second half. International and non-verbal acts (acrobats, pantomimes, etc.) are scattered throughout the program. Image File history File linksMetadata JFLlogo. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke[[ laughter in general). ... A festival is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community. ... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (in unity, prosperity) Coordinates: Country Canada Province Quebec Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government  - Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area [1][2][3]  - City 365. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² - Water... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Each day, street performers, "New Vaudevillians" and other acts both vocal and visual perform throughout the city, particularly in the "Latin Quarter" -- an area known for its theaters, cafés and boutique shopping. In the evenings, the nightclubs and live venue theaters offer special programs supporting the performers. Although Juste Pour Rire attracts spectators from around the world, many of those in the audience are talent scouts, booking agents, producers and managers from the entertainment industry. Performing at the festival is one of the biggest opportunities for undiscovered talent to showcase their act in front of industry professionals. The Quartier Latin is an area in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal, surrounding UQAM and lower Saint-Denis Street, between downtown and the Village gai. ...

Established comedians from around the world also gather at Just for Laughs. For example, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Jason Alexander, Russell Peters, Bill Cosby, Ray Romano and John Cleese have all attended the festival. The casts of The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond and Family Guy have also made appearances, as well as writers from the Sex and the City TV series. Many of the famous names are brought into town to host the gala evening events as well as headline showcase performances. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz on November 28, 1962) is a nine-time Emmy-winning[1] American comedian, satirist, actor, author, and producer. ... Jason Alexander (born Jason Scott Greenspan on September 23, 1959) is a Jewish American television, cinema and musical theatre actor, best known for his role as George Costanza on the hit television series Seinfeld. ... Russell Dominic Peters[1] (born 1970) is a Canadian stand-up comic of Anglo-Indian descent from Brampton, Ontario. ... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... Raymond Romano (born December 21, 1957 in Queens, New York) is an Emmy Award-winning, American actor and comedian best known for his starring role on the comedy series “Everybody Loves Raymond. ... John Marwood Cleese (born 27 October 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award winning English comedian and actor best known for being one of the founding members of the renowned comedy group Monty Python. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Everybody Loves Raymond was an American sitcom broadcast on CBS from 1996 to 2005. ... Family Guy is an American animated television series about a nuclear family in the suburb of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... Sex and the City is a popular American cable television program. ...

Just for Laughs has also been a launchpad for many US network television and sitcom careers, and is frequently featured as a foreign on-location highlight of late-night US network talk shows. A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ...

A TV show, also called Just For Laughs, features highlights from the festival, and it airs regularly on CBC Television, The Comedy Network and TVA. The show features performances from the festival and "canned bits" shot on location around Montreal. Many of these "bits" are visual gags that catch people off-guard or somehow surprise them as they go about their daily business. CBC Television is the primary English language television service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. ... The Comedy Network (TCN) is a Canadian cable television specialty channel owned by CTV Television Inc. ... TVA is a private commercial Canadian French-language television network based in Quebec. ...

The Just for Laughs festival also has the Comedia comedy film festival component, which started in 1996. It gives awards for feature and short films. 2005, Comedia screened 125 short films from around the world as well as several feature length films.^{[citation needed]} Comedia is a comedy film festival and part of the larger Just for Laughs comedy festival. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A short film (also short or short subject) is a motion picture that is shorter than the average feature film. ...

The series has sister shows called Just for Laughs Gags, JFL: Improv Championships, All Access Pass, and JFL: The Lost Tapes'." Just For Laughs Gags 2001-2003 logo A gag on Just For Laughs Gags Just For Laughs Gags is a Canadian silent comedy show that is a sister show of the TV series Just For Laughs. ... All Access Pass is a program made from the people of Just for Laughs. ...

In February of 1994 the festival sponsored a splinter project in Hollywood, Florida. That coastal area is a favourite winter destination for Quebecers who head south to vacation in the warmer weather. The event, Juste Pour Rires - En Vacances (Just For Laughs - On Vacation), was held in the Young Circle Park, an outdoor venue with an urban park setting. Talent included David Brenner, Dom Irrera and The Quiddlers. Look up Québécois in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... David Brenner (born February 4, 1936) is an American standup comedian, actor, author, and filmmaker. ... Dom Irrera, originally from Philadelphia, is a stand-up comedian. ... The Quiddlers are a vaudevillian-styled pantomime group formed in 1985, in Rochester, Michigan. ...

In July 2007, Just For Laughs will launch a festival in Toronto, Ontario, which has been showered with much criticism by Montrealers stating that its just something else Toronto wants that Montreal has.

See also

• Humour of Quebec
• Culture of Quebec
• Television of Quebec
• List of Quebec television series

This is a list of Quebec comedians and comedy groups. ... As a North American society, and the only society on the continent with a French-speaking majority, the culture of the province of Quebec, Canada shows many unique features. ... Quebec television is an important part of the culture of the province of Quebec in Canada. ... This is a list of French language television series from Canada. ...

External links

• Official site
• Official CBC Website