Cast of 60+ in local film bows at Comedy Film Fest

A Chicago-produced feature, with a monster cast of 60-plus local comedic actors, will be one of 45 international features, shorts and webseries showcasing in the 4th annual Chicago Comedy Film Festival Oct. 16-19 at the Showplace ICON theatre.

Party Time Party Time” was written and directed by actor/producers Marty Schousboe and Morgan Lord and follows different characters throughout a single night. Each character brings a different funny and heartbreaking story to the main theme. 

Schousboe and Lord, who attended iO classes together, were able to produce the ambitious film on a micro-budget, enabled by a Kickstarter campaign and the cast and crew donating their talents and time to the project.

Their cast members perform regularly at the iO Theatre, Annoyance Theatre and Second City. The generosity of all who contributed, Lord says, “is a trait of this specific Chicago community.”

The Chicago Comedy Film Festival was founded by Second City graduate Jessica Hardy, who serves as festival director.  LA-based Ray Chao, a Morton Grove native who exchanged a law career for comedy –- and is “still working my way up the Hollywood food chain” — is the fest’s host-organizer.

Other festival producers are VP, screenwriter Brent Kado of Flowfeel Films; festival liaison Jill Olson, producer of “Storytown” at iO Theatre; tech manager Timothy Olson, editor/producer currently associate producer on “The Steve Harvey Show” and ticket manager Shawn Barnett, a New York-based professional violinist.

“Party Time Party Time” screens at 10 p.m. Friday, Cot. 18.

An all-access weekend pass is $55; individual tickets $10=$12. Opening night reception at the Original Mother’s bar.   Oct. 17 opening night red carpet reception is 4 p.m. and the festival opens with a Classic Comedy Tribute at 6 p.m.