Coming to DVD/VOD tomorrow, Friday, April 3:
IT STARTED AS A JOKE
Directors:
Julie Smith Clem and Ken Druckerman
World Premiere:
SXSW 2019
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, BAMcinemaFest, IFF Boston
About:
A love letter to the world of stand-up comedy through the decade-long story of an unlikely event.
I previously wrote about the doc for Nantucket’s program, saying:
In 2008, comedian Eugene Mirman and director Julie Smith Clem jokingly launched the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, an alternative to stuffy mainstream comedy events. Over the next decade, the festival became a nurturing environment for the likes of Mike Birbiglia, Michael Ian Black, Jim Gaffigan, Kristen Schaal, Kumail Nanjiani, Janeane Garofalo, and Bobcat Goldthwait. This funny and surprisingly moving film celebrates the final festival and its founder, whose personal experiences demonstrate the healing power of comedy.