BEST MUSIC

The Rebellion
Wordle the Musical
You And What Army
Virgins for Satan
Working Out the Kinks

BEST SOUND

Escape! from Long Island
You're Not You
Bidding War
It Only Hurts When I Laugh
Virgins for Satan

BEST EDITING

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

BEST ACTRESS

BEST ACTOR

BEST WRITER

BEST DIRECTOR

BEST FILM

The 2023 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest is honored to feature a returning guest, Mike Stricker!!

Mike Stricker is a nationally touring comedian from Chicago.  He's been performing stand-up for a decade and in that time has performed live in over 47 states from Hawaii to Maine.  His quick wit, unpredictable demeanor, and enthusiastic tone has landed him spots as the touring opener for The Guys from MTV's Jackass, Trailer Park Boys, and WWE Superstars including Mick Foley & Jake The Snake Roberts.  He's also had the honor of sharing the stage with acts including; Chris Kattan, Pauly Shore, Brian Posehn, Creed Bratton, & many others.  Mike wants you to come to the show and have a good time.  If you're looking for political conversations, or to leave in a bad mood, go see a different comedian.  Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

The 2023 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest is honored to welcome Thomas Bottoms as our 2023 Official Host!

From right here in Chicago, IL, Thomas has done stand up for 16 years.  He also hosts the weekly radio show Bottoms of the Barrel on Que4 Radio / AM1680 / Que4.org.  In the past he has hosted the Comedy Cabaret at 3160, The open mic at Hog Head McDunna's and Tassel Free Comedy / Hound Dog Comedy at 240 Lounge.  Thomas's comedy style is blunt and bitchy, dealing with current events with a pop varnish.

The 2023 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest is honored to welcome comedian Bob Keen!

The 2023 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest is honored to welcome comedian Joe White!

Joe White is a "Stand-up" Comedian who draws from his life experiences to tell an often hilarious and always entertaining story. Whether it's a five minute opening spot or a twenty five minute headlining spot, he is sure to entertain. Joe cut his teeth in public speaking as an 8th grade Science teacher where he learned how to hold the attention of a crowd and deal with hecklers before he was even interested in performing as a “Stand-up” Comedian.

These days, Joe is focused on being your window to his World on Wheels, where he takes you on a journey describing how he navigates through the obstacles that life puts in his way. Whether it is wheelchair accessibility, teaching, parenting, dating,the healthcare system, or sexuality… strap in, because nothing is off limits. You can find him trying out new material Tuesday through Thursday at the open mics around Northwest Indiana and telling his story as “booked talent” on the occasional weekend show.

The 2023 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest is honored to welcome comedian Darron Finesilver!

Darron Finesilver is an Indianapolis based comic who has traveled across the country doing comedy spending some time out in Arizona along the way. He’s opened up for The Temptations, Craig Shoemaker, and was on the inaugural Sixth City Comedy Festival in Cleveland, OH.

The 2023 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest is honored to welcome comedian Kayla Johnson to our Late Night Laughs lineup!

Originally from Louisiana, Dr. Kayla Johnson has been a fast rising star in Chicago since completing stand-up training courses at the Lincoln Lodge. When she’s not performing stand-up, she administers vaccines and dispenses jokes to folks at Walgreens.

The 2023 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest is honored to welcome comedian Kyle Tasch to our Late Night Laughs lineup!

Kyle Tasch is a comedian and musician who will be hosting the Rumble Down music festival outside Springfield in July.  He's also a filmmaker, writer, and improviser you can see regularly at Westside Improv in Wheaton, Illinois or at music venues across the state.  Check out his music and videos on Spotify, Youtube, and wherever streaming music is found.

A couple, Deacon and Sadie, battling intimacy issues attempt to spice up their sex life. Things don’t go quite as planned, so Deacon seeks out the advice of his friend Evan. Evan has some ideas, but does he have the answers? Find out in this adult comedy from director Domenic Migliore, starring Lillian Lamour, Willy Adkins, and Brad Jones. 

Director: Domenic Migliore
Running Time: 9m

Film Block C

Franklin Loves Sophie. Sophie does not love Franklin. Now they are on their way to a double date with their best friends, Wren and Matt. What could go wrong?

Director: Tyler Holme, Tali Rabinowitz and Chase Shurtz
Running Time: 7m

Film Block B

Private dick Jack McBain just wanted a quick meal at a midnight diner...but he got a lot more than he bargained for.

Director: B.J. Wilson
Running Time: 4m

Film Block C

The Rebellion, written by lawyer/artist Ari Scharg, shines a spotlight on corrupt practices in the legal industry. It finds its roots in the real life $100 million Ponzi scheme perpetuated by celebrity lawyer, Tom Girardi, the husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Erika Jayne. The song focuses on how Scharg’s firm, Edelson PC, exposed the fraud and how there is currently a little known battle waging in the legal industry between reformers like himself and the Old Guard who want to maintain the status quo so they can continue exploiting a broken system.

Director: Gabriel Hostetler
Running Time: 8m

Film Block C

When Harold panics over his Alma Mater losing the big game, Jordan and Alex try to calm him down with a Snickers, unfortunately they have ran out of said medicinal chocolate. They decide to use whatever they have on hand in hopes of calming Harold down.

Director: Samuel Tony
Running Time: 9m

Film Block A

Dr. Roderick Q. Bendy is a therapist/inventor/pioneer of mental health who conducts intercranial explorations on his patients using his offbeat invention and very specialized training.

Director: Danny Glenn
Running Time: 11m

Film Block C

A young couple's desire to buy a home puts them at a crossroads. It's a war, kill or be killed.

Director: Spencer Cohen
Running Time: 8m

Film Block B

An ambitious young woman runs a long shot campaign to unseat the incumbent Alderman in her Chicago ward.

Director: Peter Ronson
Running Time: 21m

Film Block C

The Big Ball Lottery drawings always turn out the same for Jerry and Sherry, until tonight. Now their lives will never be the same.

Director: Taryn Grace
Running Time: 8m

Film Block A

Charlie and Krista are a young, urban, newly-married couple. However, their world is unravelled when Charlie reveals a sexual fetish that he's been hiding from Krista.

Director: Caitlin Ferrell
Running Time: 15m

Film Block C

Julie (Lillian Lamour) is in search of new love. After some advice from her mother (Lynn Lowry), she explores the idea of dating a trucker. Soon she meets Fisher (Jeff Phoenix), who is in search of an intimate encounter for the first time since his wife passed away. But getting close to someone new doesn't always come without complications. It sometimes requires Working Out The Kinks.

Director: Willy Adkins
Running Time: 12m

Film Block C

Introducing Scumbag, the new fragrance for men--inspired by wanderers, rebels and free-spirits everywhere.

Created by a team spanning New York's fashion and comedy communities and starring Nick Mestad (The Rehearsal, The Tonight Show), Scumbag is a parody of the "bad boy" cliche often seen in men's fashion campaigns (directly inspired by Dior's 'Sauvage' campaigns with Johnny Depp).

Director: Carianne King
Running Time: 2m

Film Block C

Wordle the Game + the music of Dear Evan Hansen = Wordle the Musical

Director: Nicole Scimeca
Running Time: 6m

Film Block B

Brother filmmakers borrow money from a loan shark to shoot their first film.

Director: Jim Menza
Running Time: 90m

Film Block A

A playful story about high school, relationships, and "education"

Director: Colin Dowda
Running Time: 14m

Film Block B

Among the ruins of a doomed Long Island, three old friends must work out their complicated history in order to escape.

Director: John Reardon
Running Time: 80m

Film Block B

Wanting to spice things up during lockdown, a husband buys the best reviewed sex toy on Amazon, and tries to live up to the reviews.

Director: Geordie Sabbagh
Running Time: 10m

Film Block C

A man must make a choice between his desire to loose weight and face his sugar demons head on, or forget about it, and eat all his favorite sugary snacks.

Director: Ahmed Hashmi
Running Time: 6m

Film Block A

Mac is a religious, horny girl on a mission to lose her virginity. After getting rejected by her sexy church crush, Satan offers her the chance to snag the guy of her dreams. But, when dealing with the devil, there’s always a catch…

Director: Ashlynn Judy
Running Time: 14m

Film Block C

A Young Family has a miscommunication at breakfast.

Director: Tom Parkin
Running Time: 1m

Film Block B

After learning one of his regulars signed him up for a stand-up gig, Isaac, a shy 20 something, realizes he’s got what it takes to kill in comedy — literally!

Director: Ahmed Sultan, Armaan Sultan
Running Time: 6m

Film Block A

After their father passes away, two brothers wrestle for his last bottle of whiskey.

Director: Chris Byrne
Running Time: 3m

Film Block A

A timid filmmaking student must muster all her strength to finish her senior film!

Director: Bret Jones
Running Time: 60m

Film Block C

11:00AM - GENERAL ADMISSION DOORS OPEN

11:30AM - FILM BLOCK A

• CHOKE HOLD 3M
• IT ONLY HURTS WHEN I LAUGH 6M
• EAT ME! 6M
• NO CHANCE 8M
• YOU'RE NOT YOU 9M
• FIGHT FOR THE 46TH WARD 21M
• YOU AND WHAT ARMY 90M

02:30PM - FILM BLOCK B

• THE DRY CLEANERS 1M
• WORDLE THE MUSICAL 6M
• FRANKLIN LOVES SOPHIE 7M
• BIDDING WAR 8M
• MIXED SIGNALS 14M
• ESCAPE! FROM LONG ISLAND 80M

05:00PM - FILM BLOCK C

• THE TOY 10M
• SCUMBAG 2M
• GOOD WAITRESS, BAD WAITRESS 4M
• THE REBELLION 8M
• IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD! 11M
• BRING HOME THE BACON 9M
• WORKING OUT THE KINKS 11M
• FEED ME 15M
• VIRGINS FOR SATAN 14M
• POPCORN MOVIE 60M

08:00PM - COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT BLOCK

• THOMAS BOTTOMS STAND UP 10M
• DARRON FINESILVER STAND UP 10M
• JOE WHITE STAND UP 10M
• BOB KEEN STAND UP 10M
• MIKE STRICKER STAND UP 20M

09:00PM - AWARDS PRESENTATION

10:30PM - LATE NIGHT LAUGHS OFFICIAL AFTER HOURS!
  AFTER HOURS EVENT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE THEATER BAR AREA STAGE!

• KAYLA JOHNSON 10M
• KYLE TASCH STAND UP 10M

WARNING: FILMS AND COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT ARE TYPICALLY AIMED AT AN ADULT AUDIENCE AND MAY CONTAIN A DEGREE OF GRAPHIC SCENES, ADULT SITUATIONS, ADULT LANGUAGE AND VULGARITY.  ALL FILMS ARE UNRATED.  VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.