Author Archives: fordhampr

CityTV Premieres New Series About Forgotten Black Canadian History

A new five-part docu-series called Black Community Mixtapes produced by OYA Media Group will premiere on CityTV Toronto (and across the country) on Sunday Sept. 24 at 7pm EST. The television series breathes new life into the personal archives gathered by individual Canadians to shine a light on life-changing moments in Black Canadian history.  Created and directed by the award-winning Canadian filmmaking team of Alison Duke and Ngardy Conteh George (pictured below), the show explores the cultural riches of Black Canadian history that are often stored and forgotten in crates, file folders and photo albums that have never been documented or recognized by national institutions. Says Duke (pictured below)….“We are not just filmmakers. We are first and second generation Canadians who actively try to better understand Canadian history. Producing films within the Black community for over 20 years gave us incredible access to personal archives which have helped to fill in the gaps. I hope that people see this series as a stepping stone to learning more about Black history here in Canada and that it sparks curiosity in all us to dive deeper into our own family’s archives.”The series follows KhaRå Martin, a young Toronto filmmaker, musician and actor, who embarks on a quest to rediscover Canada’s Black history and as host of the show, she speaks to Black Canadian archivists, musicians, artists and cultural change makers as they walk us through the rich world of Black Canadian culture. Here’s a sneak peak…

Some of the most notable people featured include former Much Music VJ’s  Michael Williams and Master T as well as radio deejays DJX and Ron Nelson. Other cultural icons from the Black community include nine time carnival queen Joella Chrighton, screenwriter and playwright Motion, artist Natalie Wood, photographer Michael Chambers, writer George Elliot Clark, cultural centre owner Itah Sadu and Vintage Black Canada archivist Aaron Francis.

Congratulations to OYA Media and the team….I can’t wait to watch and learn!
Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackcommunitymixtapes

 

Canadian disabled paddleboarder makes history crossing all 5 Great Lakes – see the documentary at COMMFFest this Friday

Thanks to my friend and fellow publicist, Danielle Iversen, I stepped away from TIFF to learn about the Community Arts & Film Festival taking place Sept. 14 to 22 in Toronto (celebrating its 18th anniversary this year), and the premiere of a special documentary to inform and inspire us all.

Award-winning director Matthew Wagner is thrilled to premiere his latest documentary When Hope Breaks Through, at this year’s Community Arts & Film Festival. Screening takes place at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St East, at 1:30pm Friday Sept. 15th. Tickets are available through: https://am.ticketmaster.com/tolive/commffest2023The feature length doc tells the inspiring story of Mike Shoreman, a disabled paddleboarder who attempts to become the first person with disabilities to cross all five Great Lakes. In 2018 Mike was diagnosed with a neurological condition – Ramsay Hunt syndrome – that left him paralyzed, suffering vertigo, hearing and vision loss which ultimately led to depression and a mental health breakdown. This riveting documentary explores the mental health crisis in Canada and our relationships with our own mental health. The film immerses the audience in Mike’s epic five crossings, encompassing over 300 kilometers of open water paddling accompanied by his dedicated crossings team. These strangers come together to form an inseparable bond as they faced and conquered obstacles from boats breaking down, medical emergencies to hallucinations and everything in between.Director/producer Wagner is a Michigan-based director & cinematographer whose previous documentary “Charro & Steed” has won awards (including Best Director, Best Editing and Best Documentary) at film festivals throughout the Great Lakes region and across the States. He is passionate about telling stories in a way that leaves an emotional impact to inspire change.

Mike Shoreman (www.mikeshoreman.com) is an award-winning mental health and disability advocate, athlete, author and columnist, writing on mental health and disability related issues. When Hope Breaks Through is his story.  His work in mental health awareness, promotion, and education is extensive, partnering with national and international mental health organizations. Shoreman became the first person with physical disabilities to cross the 5 Great Lakes in 2022. This endeavor became one of the largest independently-run mental health awareness campaigns for youth in Canada. The efforts of his team have been recognized in the Ontario Legislative Assembly, the Canadian House of Commons and by the Prime Minister of Canada (pictured below). Shoreman is the 2022 recipient of the Marg Starzynski Mental Health Leadership award by the Mood Disorder Society of Canada.The film is screening at many esteemed film festivals such as: Boston Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, Soo Film Festival, New Westminster Film Festival, Montreal International Film Festival, Central Alberta Film Festival, Docs Without Borders Film Festival, Canberra International Mental Health Film Festival, Awareness Film Festival, Grand Rapids Film Festival, New York International Film Awards & more.

FAQs
Q. Mike, how did the idea of crossing the Great Lakes come about?
A. I found myself with a passion and desire to help others who struggle greatly with their mental health. I wanted to do something big that would help raise awareness and funding for the youth mental health crisis in Canada.

Q. What are the themes of the film?
A. Perseverance, Mental Health and Suicide, Adventure, Water Sports, Paddle Boarding, Endurance Sports, Mental and Physical Endurance, Personal Growth, The Kindness of Strangers, The Power of Team, The Raw Determination of Human Strength, The Great Lakes.

Q. Where did the title come from?
A. Anyone who has ever struggled with mental health will be able to relate to a feeling of hopelessness at one time or another. During the crossings, there were moments when Mike experienced hopelessness as he pushed himself to fight through the grueling elements of the great lakes. However, as morning would break and the sun would peek over the horizon, Mike and the team felt as if hope itself was rising in the break of dawn. This rising hope is what we all endeavor to be part of as we raise awareness and shed light on the mental health crisis in Canada.Q. This film is about the mental health crisis, what do you hope this film achieves in its messaging?
A. This film was created by a team of individuals whose lives have all been touched in some capacity by mental health struggles. Because we are so passionate about mental health advocacy, it is our sincere hope that this film reminds audiences they are not alone in their struggles.
1. Start conversations about mental health
2. Keep conversations going about mental health
3. Help remove the stigma of mental health
4. Continue to break down the barriers to adequate mental health care

COMMFFest SCREENING: Friday Sept. 15th @ 1:30 PM
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts – Jane Mallett Theatre – Toronto, ON
WWW.WHENHOPEBREAKSTHROUGH.COM
WWW.COMMFFEST.COM

 

“LIVE FROM THE POOL DECK” INTERVIEW WITH CANADIAN COMEDY ICON, EVAN CARTER

EVAN CARTER is one of my all-time favourite comedians. When I worked as agent for Toronto’s Yuk Yuk’s Komedy Klub back in the 80s, he was my go-to guy for corporate gigs when the client required a clean comic, and he was a brilliant MC for in-house shows as well as gigs across the country – Evan was always reliable and could deliver the goods no matter who the audience may be.
Back then, record labels and concert promoters would frequently use comedians to open for their touring music artists and I booked Evan for gigs with some pretty big names such as the chart-topping Aussie pop duo Air Supply and the late R&B legend Marvin Gaye when he stopped in Toronto on his Sexual Healing tour…oh my!Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of not only working with Evan but sitting in the audience as a civilian and watching/listening to him kill it on stage. Now we can all watch him on YouTube and listen to his recent comedy album You Speak So Well.I was thrilled when Evan agreed to come visit me for a Live From the Pool Deck series of video Q&As talking about his current “Legends of Motown” musical stage show that’s successfully packing ‘em in across North America, as well as past triumphs and stories from the comedy trenches.  His new website has just been launched [www.evancarter.com] so check Evan out for yourself and see why he’s considered “the comedian’s comedian…”

Thanks for sharing all the laughs over the past four+ decades…keep it up, we need all the laughs we can get, Evan. LOL
Again, visit Evan’s new website for social media links plus videos and concert soundtracks – www.evancarter.com

 

CANADIAN WRITER/DIRECTOR TRICIA LEE COMES HOME FOR TORONTO INT’L FILM FEST

Ten years ago, I was contracted by Canadian (local) writer/director TRICIA LEE to undertake PR/publicity for her feature film Silent Retreat, a horror-genre film. I was intrigued by this modest young woman and her ability to bring the thrills, chills and screams to the screen; in fact, she was only one of a handful of women filmmakers around the world working in that genre.  I was thrilled to see the film become a resounding success at the Toronto After Dark and Blood in the Snow film fests.In the years since I worked with her, Tricia has become an accomplished AAPI female filmmaker with the ability to blend heart-warming and heart-breaking stories with uplifting humor has earned her recognition on the 2020 and 2021 Black List.  As a fellow of SONY’s Diverse TV Writers Program, Tricia’s films explore themes of belonging, voicelessness, and shared humanity. Her feature script, Good Chance has received numerous accolades, including being a top 50 finalist in The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, winning the grand prize at Francis Ford Coppola‘s Zoetrope Screenplay Competition, a top 14 finalist Universal Studios Writers Program, on the CAPE List and being selected for the prestigious Producers Guild of America Power of Diversity Master Workshop and The Writers Lab (supported by Meryl Streep & Nicole Kidman). A CDDP Commercial Director finalist, Tricia’s impressive directing credits include working with top talent such as Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame, Simu Liu (star of Shang-Chi ,Canada’s famed tv comedy Kim’s Convenience and most recently Barbie), Ingrid Rogers (Bosch), and James Kyson (Heroes).  She has written a pilot for and will be a showrunner of the animated anthology A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts produced by 108 Media. She has directed 3 award-winning features including Blood Hunters which sold to Hulu and was presented in Cannes by Frontieres, and Silent Retreat, which was theatrically released across Canada and sold to NBC Universal’s Chiller Network.

I invited Tricia to join me for this “Live from the pool deck” celebrity blog so I’ll let her tell you all about her career and her latest projects….

I’ve followed Tricia’s career spanning her move to L.A. several years ago, her ongoing participation in high-profile workshops and programs where she’s honed her script writing chops, and having established herself as a film and commercial director and an accomplished writer. Tricia has returned to Toronto to soak in the vibes of our annual Toronto Int’l Film Festival so watch for her on the various red carpets, industry events and celebrity soirees.

You can learn more about Tricia via her website https://www.tricialeedirector.com/ and follow her on social media (see direct links on website)

AUSSIE FILMS AT TIFF 2023 – “THE NEW BOY” FROM AWARD-WINNING WRITER/DIRECTOR WARWICK THORNTON

Sadly, due to the far-reaching effects of the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strike, many of the big stars, the A-Listers and international stars and filmmaker will not be coming to town for this year’s Toronto Int’l Film Festival launching in 2 day’s time. But have no fear, dear fellow fans of Australian cinema…I got you covered with some of the films featured at TIFF. First is THE NEW BOY which has already garnered critical and audience acclaim at home. It stars Cate Blanchett alongside leading indigenous actors Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair, and introduces us to a brilliant young talent, Aswan Reid, as the title character. Thanks to my PR contact at Roadshow Pictures Australia, Stefan, here’s the inside scoop on the film…..

From Dirty Films and Scarlett Pictures comes writer/director Warwick Thornton’s deeply personal film, The New Boy. In 1940’s Australia, in the middle of World War II, a solitary Indigenous boy (Aswan Reid) is dramatically captured by a horseback police patrol and delivered to a remote monastery orphanage in the dead of night. The monastery is run by a feisty nun, Sister Eileen (Cate Blanchett), who has worked hard to make it a happy retreat away from the world and its war – and she will do anything to keep it that way. Since the elderly monk who was in charge died, Sister Eileen has been running the place secretly and is very protective of her small group of boys. Wary of too much Church oversight, she is always very careful to keep her head down and make good on the monastery’s expected contribution to the war effort. To that end she is helped by two Aboriginal staff – George (Wayne Blair), who runs the monastery’s farm with the help of the children, and Sister Mum (Deborah Mailman), who runs the domestic side of things.The new arrival (pictured above) doesn’t speak English, and no-one knows where he came from. He has been living a nomadic tribal life up until now, having no concept of Western norms. Dubbed the New Boy, he is quick to pick up on things and soon understands the pecking order and how to make it work. His survival instincts are sharp, his intelligence dexterous and he seems to have special powers which he uses for healing as well as for his own entertainment. The monastery’s orderly Christian ethos is unsettled by his presence, particularly in the case of the head boy, Michael (Shane McKenzie-Brady). And George, an Aboriginal farmhand who believes he’s on a good wicket and doesn’t want the boat to be rocked, recognizes something ancient in the boy that he would sooner forget.  Sister Eileen, herself a bit of a square peg, is acutely aware of the precariousness of the monastery’s situation. Faced with her own survival choices when the old monk died, she determined to hold the orphanage together, knowing that any change could put the children in her care in peril. Now the New Boy, with his mysterious and alluring energy, is causing disturbance inside her delicately balanced world. She, George and Sister Mum already have their work cut out just keeping things ticking over.
When a special delivery requires a personal signature from the deceased monk, Sister Eileen has to assume responsibility for it with a bit of careful dodging and some astute white lies. She takes charge of the special cargo – an extraordinary religious treasure; a life-size carving of Christ on the cross – sent to this remote place by the Church to protect it from the ravages of war in France. When New Boy encounters this image of Jesus for the first time he is transfixed. However, the boy’s Indigenous spiritual life and mysterious powers do not gel with the mission’s orderly Christianity, leading to a series of unsettling encounters. Something must be done.  Sister Eileen is faced with a choice between the traditions of her faith and the truth embodied in the boy. As her foundations are rocked, will the secret she has harboured for a year be discovered, imperiling the orphanage? Or will everything be brought in line, made good and safe and orderly, even at the cost of New Boy’s unique Indigenous spiritual power?

TIFF screenings are as follows (get your tkts now as this is a very popular film). In fact, it looks like the Fri & Sat screenings are already sold out.
Thursday, September 14 at Roy Thomson Hall 5:30 PM
Friday, September 15 at Scotiabank Theatre 2:45 PM
Saturday, September 16 at Scotiabank Theatre 6:15 PM

See you in the line-ups!

MY HOME TOWN’S INT’L FILM FEST IS CALLING FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR 2024

The Revelation Film Festival is the preeminent film event in Perth, Western Australia (WA), and they having wrapped this year’s annual fest, they are now looking ahead to next year (July 3-7, 2024). So if you’re a filmmaker interested in a unique experience reaching an entirely new audience (and film market), submit your features, shorts & docs now!

Growing up in “the bush” outside of Perth, even going to a cinema was a big deal and involved an hour trip each way on the country bus and most of the movies in our theatres were at least 6 months to a year old.  After all these years, I’m so proud of the filmmakers who have emerged from this remote state capital city, thanks in part to respected film schools there and the Revelation Film Festival who support local, indigenous and int’l films and filmmakers. So if you’re an indie filmmaker looking to impact audiences (and get a great vacay, too), this is the one for you.As per the festival’s spokesperson: In looking at the films, we don’t have groups of panels but rather we take a more active and curatorial approach. All titles submitted are viewed by the Festival Director. A shortlist is then made – usually made up of around 30% of the titles submitted in each category and those films are then viewed by the Program Director to ensure that all films selected (invited or through the call for entries) provide a complete and cohesive program.  It’s that kind of love, program care and exposure to large audiences that bring more and more films and the filmmakers themselves to Rev.

Photo by Anthony TranNow entering its twenty-fifth year, Revelation is one of Australia’s most unique screen and moving image events. With its focus on independent cinema, international film, cutting-edge documentaries, emergent talent – both international and Australian, and experimental film, Revelation maintains its clarity of vision while always seeking to explore the potentials of visual cultures.

  • Early bird Deadline 8 January
  • Regular Deadline 1 March
  • Extended Deadline 1 April

Check out all the details and ENTER HERE: https://filmfreeway.com/RevelationFilmFestival

Put yourself in front of the Rev’s photo wall next year and say g’day to W.A.

https://www.revelationfilmfest.org/

Meet Mary Kennedy, funny lady extraordinaire!

The first show of Danforth Comedy Festival introduced me to a very funny lady – Mary Kennedy.  And yes, she is one of those Kennedys. The headlining comic has performed all over the States (once a dyed in the wool Bostonian, now LA is her home) and appears regularly at Flappers Comedy Club, The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles/Long Beach as well as at the Comedy Store LA/La Jolla, Comedy Chateau, The Ice House and The Improv. From the minute she took the stage at Socap Comedy Theatre, Mary had me in stiches. Not only is the 23yr veteran of stand-up comedy  hilarious, she’s a multi-talented actor who’s worked on stage, tv and big screen. I reached out to Mary for this interview and I learnt she’s even more than all that….Mary, congrats on your appearance at the Danforth Comedy Festival. You had only just arrived from L.A. when you took the stage that first Friday night – did you enjoy the welcome to Toronto from the audience and do you enjoy participating in festivals such as the Danforth Comedy Festival?  I love Toronto! I felt so welcome, it was like being home!  I love doing festivals – as a comic, it is a great way to socialize and work in front of different audiences.  I do a podcast called Order Up, with Kelly, Cari, Mary and Matt.  It’s a foodie podcast with me and three Canadians.  It was the first time I recorded with them in person…they are my Toronto family now.  My Order Up family and the Danforth Comedy Festival really rolled out the red carpet for me.

You’re also an accomplished TV actor, producer and director – with the current SAG-AFTRA & Writers’ strike in the States, was this a good respite for you, enabling you to get in front of an audience as a writer as well as performer?  Yes, an amazing respite.  It was good to be on stage in front of a live audience, connecting with them through laughter.  The strike will run its course.  I think it is empowering for the writers and actors to be unified, I hope it is resolved quickly, but now is the time for us to stand for what we want and truly need.

You’ve also been nominated for awards for stage acting (congrats) – which do you prefer as an artist: stage, screen or stand-up comedy and why?  All of the above.  Each one is different.  There is nothing like having an audience with you during a comedy set.  In a stage play, connecting with others on stage in front of a live audience is a joy.  I’m doing my one woman show Mid Life Mood Swing and I’m on stage alone for 53 minutes.  That is both like headlining a comedy set and working on a play – it’s absolute heaven.  Screen is like grad school – watching production work, working with directors and other actors; it is the best training in the world.  I always learn something new. Then I get to watch the finished work on screen, that always gives me goosebumps.  It is so collaborative and I get to meet the most interesting people in the world in all these venues. Has all this showbiz experience contributed to your comedy writing or do you draw from your own life experience – dating, marriage, family?  Yes definitely.  But I come from a very Irish catholic family.  I am also a Kennedy “third cousins, twice removed” so all of the tragedy, none of the money.  I learned very early on, especially from my mother, to find humor in tragedy.  This made me the comic I am today.  My mom who started a wedding band after her divorce, consisting of 40 year old divorcees, singing Hot Stuff and Locomotion, called the MOOD SWINGS.  She taught me how to be a kick ass business woman and how to get paid for my art.

Have you been inspired by other female comics who fought hard to get their 15mins in the spotlight and recognition from male counterparts?  Yes, when I came up in comedy in NYC, I was in a group of the most talented comics who happen to be female.  Every single one of us is experiencing a great career and we still support each other along the way.  We are all happy for each other’s successes.  There is room for everyone!Any advice for aspiring funny ladies out there?  Figure out who you are and be proud of that!  Don’t be the comic that you think people want you to be.  Have a clear point of view and work your set all the time.  Find a community that will be supportive of you!

And what’s your next big gig?  I’m touring with my one person show Mid Life Mood Swing: Starring Mary Kennedy, directed by Charlene Ward.  First stop is the Boston area. Then Off Cabot through John Tobin Presents, in Beverly, MA. August 25 &26 at 8pm.  Tickets are available through:  www.offcabot.org

Thanks for chatting with me, Mary.   You can enjoy Mary’s work on YouTube and can follow her on Instagram: @mkennedycomedy

DANFORTH COMEDY FESTIVAL CLOSING NIGHT’S SHOW ROCKED THE DON ON DANFORTH THEATRE.

So that just happened….2 weekends of laughter courtesy of the first annual Danforth Comedy Festival. Five nights of humour across three venues along Toronto’s legendary Danforth Ave or Greektown as most people know it. This weekend is Taste of the Danforth food festival and many of last night’s audience arrived after enjoying tasty Greek treats…so full tummies are happy tummies and the near-capacity audience at The Don on Danforth theatre (near Main St subway) worked off the calories by laughing hard in their seats.

The show got off to an amazing start when tiny perfect MC Angelina Maiorano-Thurston (pictured below) bounced on stage. Her diminutive size disguises her BIG presence and salty sense of humour. Her high-pitched voice was perfect for delivering some pretty naughty commentary and spritzing with the audience.The first comic in the night’s line-up was Anthony Englebrecht who got to know the audience with shout outs to various people sitting in the front rows. He also shared stories of dating and romance and how well (or not) he does when chatting up the ladies, many of whom in the audience seemed to respond to him! Their dates were laughing along, obviously relating to his romance insights.Next up was Luke Lynndale, not just an accomplished stand-up comic but also the Founder and producer of the Festival. He shared his stories about how he proposed to his wife after several interrupted attempts, and his two recent colonoscopies.  The audience was writhing in hysterics as well as the discomfort of the surgical procedures!Angelina then intro’d the fabulous Frank Spadone (below) who took the stage with high energy and a big cheer from the crowd – Frank must have brought his entire family! He launched into tales of his wife’s evening ablutions and how she plans for vacations and hotel bookings. He ended his set with hilarious insights into his aged Italian nona’s (grandma’s) family relationships and behaviour. Made me wish I had a nona, too!Then Angelina announced the final comedian for the night, Sean Cullen. Most Canadian comedy fans know that name – Sean is a triple Gemini & Canadian Comedy Award winner and has made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and CBS’s The Late Late Show. He also has several TV specials including Comedy Central Presents, Comedy Now and was a finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing.So that was it…good night, go home!Congrats to Luke and his team of Festival volunteers- I’m sure he’s already planning next year’s Festival….see you then.

Follow the comedians for performance updates, and news of the 2024 Festival on Instagram:
@danforthcomedyfestival
@angelinadeepvoicemama
@anthonyenglebrecht
@lukelynndale
@frankspadone
@seancullenismyname

MORE LAUGHS at DANFORTH COMEDY FESTIVAL

Last night, Friday, Comedy Nuggets presented the 2nd last night of stand-up comedy at the DANFORTH COMEDY FESTIVAL with a line-up of engaging and entertaining comedians, hosted by Anasimone George (below) who kept the audience energized and ready to laugh.She first introduced Dimi Kolovopoulos (below) who bounded on stage and kept the audience revved up throughout his set. Having Greek heritage, Dimi was the ideal entertainer on the night – it was opening night for Taste of the Danforth down on the street. Opa!Anasimone then into’d Sai Kit whose quiet, shy on-stage persona disguised his biting commentary on his family’s immigrant experience and growing up slightly disadvantaged when relating to the ladies!Next on the bill was a Brit comedian David Green (below) who truly embraced the power of the pun. Those of you of a certain age with a UK heritage would surely recognize the machine-gun joke delivery of the late comic legend Tommy Cooper. I laughed so hard  – I wanna see more of David.Canada’s Got Talent alum Cathy Boyd was up next, sharing her thoughts on parenting four kids (apparently she would have been happy with just the first 3) and trying to make Howie Mandel laugh! The audience loved her dry, slow burn delivery.Festival Founder and stand-up comic Luke Lynndale was up next and he ramped up the energy in the room with his fast-paced observational comedy, esp. his thoughts on childbirth….his delivery room experiences with his first child made for some funny material!The final comedian/headliner was Nile Seguin (below) whose killer set ended the night on a high note. An admitted “weirdo” and nerd, Nile is a veteran of the comedy fest circuit having performed across Canada and the U.S. as well as being an accomplished TV writer (he was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for his writing on CBC’s “Still Standing” one of my fave Canadian shows).So there’s one more night & two shows left for the inaugural Danforth Comedy Festival. The Don on the Danforth (near the Main subway stn) plays host to both shows and there are still some tickets left. Check out info and tkts at: www.danforthcomedyfestival.com. Hope to see you there.
Follow and support these talented comedians via their social media (Instagram):
@scamasimone (your host)
@spit_bandit (Dimi)
@side_kick_comedy (Sai)
@davidgreencomic
@can_am_cathy
@comedynuggets (Luke)
@neil_seguin
@danforthcomedyfestival

MEET COMEDIAN MAX ROSS, MC EXTRAORDINAIRE!

I had the pleasure of seeing some great comedians perform last weekend at Toronto’s Danforth Comedy Festival (3 more shows this weekend) and one of the stand-outs was the MC of the show at Socap Comedy Theatre (Danforth & Broadview), MAX ROSS. He’s a brilliant stand-up comic himself but he stepped up to the mic and kept the energy in the room high throughout the night and the attention on the guest acts.MC’ing is an under-appreciated (and under-respected) role during a night of comedy. Most comics don’t like the responsibility of holding a show together – keeping the audience entertained between sets and paying attention to what’s going on on stage, and revving them up again if a comedian bombs. Last Friday evening Max kept the room buzzing so I was thrilled when Max agreed to share his thoughts on comedy and how he came to the spotlight…..

Max, congrats on your appearance at the Danforth Comedy Festival. As MC for the first show I saw, you created an ideal environment for each of the comics who took the stage – that’s a tough and under-appreciated job. Do you prefer MCing or doing stand-up sets?  Thank you for the compliment! MCing takes a lot of skill and experience. Of course, I prefer doing longer stand-up sets over MC’ng, but I do enjoy hosting. You are correct though, MCing is very underappreciated because the job of an MC isn’t to be the funniest comedian. Your priority as an MC is to set the tone of the show by going on stage with positive energy, getting to know the crowd and hyping all the acts the audience will see on the show. I’ve been to shows in the past where the MC was low energy and didn’t warm up the crowd, causing the show to be uncomfortable and not fun for the crowd and the comedians, so a good MC makes a big difference.
The other reason why I enjoy MCing is because you never know what kind of crowd you’ll have, so when you do crowd work, you need to constantly improvise and adapt to the situation to keep the show interesting and fun. Plus, when I’m improvising on stage, I can think of new material that I can work on later at other shows.

Have you participated in other comedy festivals such as the Danforth Comedy Festival? And if so, how was that experience?  Yes, I have. In 2019, I was part of the Burbank Comedy Festival in Burbank California, and in 2022, I did Just For Laughs Toronto “Best of Absolute Comedy” at Absolute Comedy Club, Toronto. Both festivals were a lot of fun, and I would do it again. As a former military paratrooper, do you equate performing on stage and making people laugh to the thrill (and fear?) of dropping into a conflict zone by parachute?  It can be. It’s quite a thrill but can be a little nerve-recking. Obviously, these are two different types of fears (public speaking and dying from jumping out of a plane…), but I enjoy the adrenaline rush of both. I used to be scared going up on stage, and I still get nervous on occasion, but I just keep reminding myself to have fun up there and enjoy the moment.  Parachuting in the army was fun too… though over time, I’ve hurt my knees and back from bad landings. (Veterans Affairs believes my body pain was not service related…) Having a Polish background, have you drawn on your family and culture for your humour or do you just enjoy the great food?  I love talking about my Polish background on stage. I don’t know many Polish comedians in the city, so it’s nice to be able to represent my culture. I grew up in an immigrant household, so my upbringing was more unique than the regular Canadian. And yes, I also enjoy great Polish food!

Have you been inspired by any other comics (past or present) and if so, who in particular did you relate to or want to emulate?  There are many comedians who sparked my interest in stand up. Eddie Murphy was my favourite and watching his first special “Delirious” inspired me to write material and eventually trying it out.
Other comedic inspirations: George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Paul Mooney, Jim Carrey, Louis CK, David Letterman, Norm Macdonald, Patrice O’Neal, Russell Peters, Bill Burr, Robin Williams, Dave Attell, Gilbert Gottfried. Over the years, I discovered more comedians who would inspire me to get better. These comedians include Tom Segura, Andrew Schulz, Hannibal Buress, Nate Bargatze, Chris Distefano, Mark Normand, Godfrey.

Any advice for aspiring comedians out there?  A great Canadian poet by the name Aubrey Graham once said, “You only live once”. If comedy is something you’re passionate about, take a chance and try it out.  Statistically speaking, your first time on stage will probably be awful. That’s just how it is… but keep writing, go to open mics, and meet other comics in the city. Eventually you’ll figure it out and get better at writing and performing… or not… Welcome to showbiz, baby!The best advice I got when I was starting out was by Juno Award-winning comedian Dave Merheje (as seen on Mr.D, Ramy, Just for Laughs). All he told me was to just have fun. Comedy is supposed to be fun, so you shouldn’t feel stressed or overwhelmed doing it. Just keep reminding yourself in your head that this is fun.

And what’s your next big stand-up gig – where can we see you?  Follow me on Instagram @maxrosscomedy as I post show dates there!  I also post content on TikTok and YouTube @maxrosscomedy Keep an eye out for Max appearing in your local club…or on the BIG stages of comedy festivals.  And if you want more great laughs this weekend, check out www.danforthcomedyfestival.com for shows at Socap (tonight, Friday Aug.11) and The Don on the Danforth (2 shows) Saturday night.