Hye’s Picks: Rez Comedy

The first all Indigenous and all Canadian stand-up comedy feature film Rez Comedy begins its theatrical this weekend in Toronto.

Eight diverse Indigenous comics from all over Canada come together for a set connected by the Squamish nation and host comic Keith Nahanee (Squamish Nation, BC), star of Comedy Invasion, Canadian Screen Awards 2024 winner for Best Comedy Special.

Rez Comedy began as an idea for a 13-part television series for APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) and CMF (Canada Media Fund) in June of 2023. Two months later, the producing and filmmaking team learned that APTN had decided to not greenlight the series into production.

Keeping an independent filmmaking spirit, the team decided to pivot and turn Rez Comedy into an independent feature film instead. They also tried crowdfunding and applied to every funding program available to no avail. When the production date approached, co-director and producer Quentin Lee had little choice but to loan the production budget from personal funds in order to make the film a reality.

Rez Comedy was finally filmed on the weekend of June 15, 2024, with nine of the originally cast comics from the developed television series at the Metro Theatre on Musqueam reservation in Vancouver.

Directed by Quentin Lee and Keith Nahanee, Rez Comedy stars Nahanee as host; featuring the comedic talents of Wayne Alexis (Sto’lo Nation from Cheam Band, BC), Chuck Cease (Mistawasis Nahiyawak Cree Nation, SK), Denise B. McLeod (Urban IndigiQueer Anishinaabe Kwe, home territory is Sagamok Anishnawbek F.N., ON), Janelle Niles (Black – Mi’kmaq woman from Sipekne’katik, NS), Dream Omer (Saskatchewan-based), Helena Paul (Tk’emlups te Secwempemc and Skowkale, BC), Brenda Prince (Anishinabe, MB), and Kevin Shawanda (Birch Island, ON).