Call for 2024 Submissions
Winnipeg Comedy Festival is accepting submissions from October 1 - October 31, 2023
The 23rd annual Winnipeg Comedy Festival runs April 30 - May 5, 2024
Email: submissions@winnipegcomedyfestival.com
Please tell us:
- which theme(s) you are submitting to (See themes below)
- where you’d be flying from
- your contact info and if you have representation (and their contact info if applicable)
Important:
- 8-10 minutes sets are ideal
- Unlisted YouTube video links preferred
Written submissions, or links to websites with clips also accepted - Please don’t send downloadable files (WeTransfer, etc)
We receive hundreds of submissions, the files are large, and the links often expire too quickly - Material must be unaired on national TV or streaming services (JFL, Halifax, New Wave of Standup, Comedy Night in Canada, Crave, Netflix, etc …)
Themes:
Below are six themes,
FIVE OF WHICH will become our five TV galas. Feel free to submit to more than one.
YOUR NEXT ACT
The transitions show. Material about different phases of life, big changes, upheavals, milestones, fresh starts. Could be puberty, marriage, divorce, entering parenthood, empty nesting, career changes, menopause, new education phase, personal growth phase, etc.
CUSTOMER DISSERVICE
Unhappy To Serve You - retail and customer service stories, from the customer’s perspective or the service provider’s perspective. Dealing with the public, call centers, customer surveys, restaurants, cabs, airlines, any and all customer experiences, Consumer Culture, brands and ads, manipulation, companies and brands on social media.
LOVE YOU, MAN
A look at the current state of masculinity – traditional notions vs contemporary notions, what’s gotten better about men / what’s gotten worse, masculinity as a spectrum, toxic vs. non-toxic, transitioning to or from male. Do you identify as a man? Tell us about yourself, the messages you get from society, the messages you get from others, your role models and heroes, your cautionary tales, your dad, your buddies, your male partner or lover, etc. Do you identify as a woman or non-binary person? Tell us what you love and what you hate about the men in your life, your dad, your brother, your guy friends, your romantic interests, your matches on Tinder, and the strangers you encounter.
THE PERFECT SHOW
Material about personal and social pressures to strive for perfection and live up to unrealistic ideals – professionally, personally, in relationships, in appearance, in lifestyle, in your family, etc. Unattainable goals, life coaches, plastic surgery, the search for the perfect partner, the pursuit of happiness, learning nobody’s perfect, and going against the grain.
BACK IN THE DAY
The Nostalgia Show – a funny celebration and examination of our love affair with “the good old days.” pop culture, tech, parenting styles, politics, culture, etc. and how we often “remember” something that really only existed in our imaginations.
SICK JOKES
Material focussing on encounters with the front lines of healthcare: doctors, nurses, emergency rooms, procedures, diagnoses, treatments, wait times, waiting rooms, web md, dentists, prescriptions, pharmacies, vaccines, appointments, insurance, lab tests, ambulance rides, etc.
Some friendly advice:
- Please don’t send one 10-min set and tell us you think it could fit into any or all the themes. It won’t.
- Do your best to be polished in your delivery – try to minimize habitual “uhmms” and “ahhhs” and other verbal tics.
- TV isn’t as worried about “bad words” as it was in the past, so feel free to say the odd f-bomb. Don’t say a million of them.
- Be mindful of not punching down. We won’t be interested in a TV set that makes fun of those less advantaged.
- Showcase your material, not your crowd work.
- Be timely while being timeless. Keep in mind our shows air a year after taping and beyond, so avoid topical jokes or references that date your material.
- Remember - we're not making a list of our 30 favourite comics; we're casting TV shows. We have 6 spots to fill in each of 5 shows. Each of those 6 spots is different and ought to touch on a different aspect of the gala theme.
- We will contact you if we are interested.
- Although we book US and international acts, those spaces are limited due to Canadian content requirements.
We know putting your heart and soul into a submission is hard work. We greatly appreciate you taking the time! Good luck, and may this be your year!