Vail Comedy Festival adds special film screening to the lineup
'Anxiety Club' will showcase mental health and features comedians who share humorous and heartfelt stories about their journeys dealing with anxiety
Vail Comedy Festival/Courtesy photo
In addition to 30 comedians taking the stage May 23-25 during the Vail Comedy Festival, the annual Memorial Day Weekend event will also host a film screening for the first time. On May 24, pass holders will be able to see the unreleased film “Anxiety Club” in partnership with SpeakUp ReachOut. Mark Masters, founder of the Vail Comedy Festival reached out to “Anxiety Club” director Wendy Lobel to talk about the project.
What is ‘Anxiety Club’ and who is featured in it?
“Anxiety Club” is a humorous and heartfelt documentary that captures the experience of anxiety through the lens of comedians Joe List, Marc Maron, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn, Eva Victor and Tiffany Jenkins. There’s lots of stand-up, sketch material and relatable everyday life scenarios. We filmed Tiffany Jenkins undergoing exposure therapy as she confronted her fears of something catastrophic happening to her kids. Meditation teacher Tara Brach, PhD, guided Joe List through an intense meditation experience. Plus the documentary highlights Hollywood’s Laugh Factory, which took the groundbreaking step of hiring a psychologist-in-residence to support its comics.
How did you connect with the Vail Comedy Festival?
“Anxiety Club” premiered at DOC NYC Film Festival in November. Since then, we’ve screened at numerous other festivals and continue to do so. We’re also collaborating with mental health organizations and colleges/universities to host community screenings.
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Given that the film features comedians, comedy festivals felt like a natural fit. We reached out to several well-known festivals and our impact producer, Julie Sandler, along with one of our producers, Janelle Draper—a comedian familiar with the Vail Comedy Festival and Mark Masters—helped make it happen. This is the first comedy festival where “Anxiety Club” will be screening, and we’re beyond excited!
Have you ever been to Colorado?
Yes! Quite a few times. I really love Colorado, I spent many years producing for the kids’ news program “Nick News with Linda Ellerbee,” Nickelodeon’s long-running series that focused on topics affecting children. I traveled wherever the story took me—and many episodes brought me to Colorado: Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder and yes, Vail, when we did a story about kids taking risks in sports, specifically backcountry skiing.
Why did you decide to discuss anxiety through the lens of comedians in particular?
Originally, I planned to make a film about regular people with anxiety. My husband suggested adding a comedian or actor to the mix. He was following Aparna Nancherla on Twitter, told me about her and I loved how candid she was about her mental health in her stand-up routines and tweets. Around that time, a film with a similar premise had recently been released, so I switched gears and decided to focus entirely on comedians sharing their personal struggles with anxiety. It turned out to be a much more compelling (and entertaining) way to address a serious subject.
How did you find and book the comedians?
It was a combination of word of mouth and extensive research. I reached out to Aparna Nancherla through her website. We filmed her interview at a club in New York City, where someone mentioned Joe List. I approached Mark Normand after a set at a different New York City club. Baron Vaughn came to us through research. My colleague discovered Tiffany Jenkins, and my husband had seen Eva Victor’s viral sketch videos about anxiety. I was already following Marc Maron, whose interview was the hardest to secure.
What was the catalyst for ‘Anxiety Club?’ Why did you want to tell this story in the first place?
I’ve struggled with anxiety for years and am all too familiar with how torturous it can be. Additionally, I had produced an episode about teens with anxiety for “Nick News with Linda Ellerbee,” where I saw how the kids’ worries and fears were holding them back in life and how the right treatment was helping them in profound ways. I realized that there are countless anxious people of all ages and walks of life who are living compromised by their disorder because they don’t know any other way. I felt I was in a unique position to address this subject.
What can people who are struggling with anxiety take away from this film?
My hope is that this movie will both help and entertain viewers by allowing them to face their struggles with humor, compassion and the understanding that healing is possible. I want people dealing with anxiety to feel less alone, more comfortable discussing their struggles, and more inclined to seek help. Anxiety is such an internal experience; it’s difficult for those who don’t have it to truly understand what it’s like. I also hope this film will help those who love someone with anxiety to better understand their experience.
Besides film and comedy festivals and community events, where can people see ‘Anxiety Club?’
It will be available to rent on the digital platform, Jolt.film, beginning August 15 and is available for pre-order now.
Three day festival passes are available for purchase at VailComedyFestival.com and allow access to dozens of events including comedy, magic and podcast live tapings. VIP passes include access to special events like a wine tasting with comedians at a private dining room in a Michelin recognized restaurant. Free family friendly magic shows happen again May 24 and 25 at the RocketFizz stage in Lionshead. Individual movie tickets for the “Anxiety Club” screening at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday are available at VailComedyFestival.com/Film.
