FILM@Vail Comedy Festival returns Memorial Day Weekend
Vail Comedy Festival teams up with SpeakUp ReachOut to focus on mental health during event
Last year, in between the comedians who appeared at the Vail Comedy Festival, event organizer and comedian Mark Masters screened “Anxiety Club,” a feature film about stand-up comedians that helped reduce the stigma of talking about mental health.
“This year we are back with multiple features and a dozen short films from around the world,” Masters said. “It gave us experience popping up a movie theater in Vail Village.” Movies are shown on a fourteen-foot-wide screen that Masters purchased from an old movie theater. “That find is now erected in the International Ballroom at The Lodge At Vail. A theater projection system, professional sound and a lot of seats will complete the transformation of the space for a second year.”
The Vail Comedy Festival event is put on in partnership with SpeakUp ReachOut, a mental health non-profit in Eagle County. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month.
This year’s FILM@Vail Comedy Festival grew from a single movie last year to multiple screenings this year. All are free for comedy festival pass holders, and individual tickets are now available at vailcomedyfestival.com.
“Before We Get Started,” a feature length documentary with dozens of famous comedians discussing a comic’s existential crisis about his career ambitions, will kick off the festival. John Oliver, Leslie Jones and Jay Leno are just a few involved in the project about warm-up comedian Ryan Reiss.
Support Local Journalism
“On A String” is a feature film marking the directorial debut of Isabel Hagen, who is a stand-up comedian who has appeared on late night television and a professional violist. She tells the quirky story of a working musician as she navigates her eccentric family and odd gigs in a big city. The movie won best screenplay at the Tribeca Festival.
“As a filmmaker, showing a character’s anxieties on screen and having audiences relate to them can feel quite therapeutic,” Hagen said. “For this reason, getting to screen my film for an audience is always a privilege, and I’m so excited to share ‘On a String’ with the community at Vail Comedy Festival.”
Hagen will join a virtual Q-and-A after the screening of her film.
“Creating art, especially film, which has many different mediums rolled into one, is a way that I can channel the chaos of my mind into something meaningful” Hagen said.
This year’s film festival will screen short films for the first time, including multiple international selections. One animated short from the UK was created by filmmaker Willy Fair. The story of grief and acceptance is based on events that happened in Vail, where Fair grew up.
Another short film selection of hilarious sketches was shot locally.
“We’re really excited to be part of a Colorado festival that’s supporting comedy and bringing filmmakers into the mix. Our project came out of the Chicago and Denver improv scene, and it means a lot to share it with an audience like this,” Don Markus said.
This year’s film festival will be a family affair. Nick Vatterott is an Andy Kaufman Award winning stand-up who has been on Jimmy Fallon and Comedy Central. He is a headliner at this year’s comedy festival. During the pandemic he shot a feature length film in his Los Angeles apartment. His sister, an actress, has a short film that will also screen at the festival. Both will attend in person.
A full list of projects, including a Breckenridge Comedy Festival award winner, can be found at vailcomedyfestival.com.
“I believe this event will continue to grow as Sundance makes its way to Colorado next year and the state gets more excited about independent film screenings. I’ve been surprised and impressed with how many talented comedians are also impressive filmmakers and we are thrilled to showcase their work” Masters said. “Providing attendees access to selected film makers has been a priority since the first year of the film event.”
A short film selection starring comedian Joe List was directed by Raanan Hershberg. Hershberg has performed to sold-out audiences as part of Vail Comedy Show, in traditional spaces like a Manor Vail ballroom in Vail Village and more unique spots like Moe’s Original BBQ in Eagle and Eagle River Brewing Company in Gypsum, over the years.
Interested film makers can submit their own projects at the industry website Film Freeway, when submissions open again this summer.
Audience members can buy tickets and get information about the event happening during the Vail Comedy Festival, May 22-24 at vailcomedyfestival.com.
