Friars Club Announces Opening Night Film for Fifth Annual Comedy Film Festival

http://www.friarsclub.com/filmfestival/

New York, New York (March 11, 2013) – The Friars Club today announced that the Fifth Annual Friars Club Comedy Film Festival (FCCFF), to be held the week of April 1-6, 2013, will open with “He’s Way More Famous Than You”. The festival is a star-studded celebration of the comedy genre that fosters the next generation of comedy filmmakers and offers them a platform for presenting their work, and to fill a void by paying tribute to a genre that is often overlooked.

The opening night film, in which Ugly Betty and Partners star Michael Urie makes his directorial debut, is an irreverent meta-comedy that includes actors ranging from indie fixtures, like Halley Feiffer and Ryan Spahn, to cameos by A-list household names like Jesse Eisenberg, Ben Stiller, Mamie Gummer and Ralph Macchio. They all play tongue-in-cheek caricatures of themselves to help tell the story of one fame-obsessed actress (Halley Feiffer) who is willing to do anything to make it in the entertainment industry, even if it means sabotaging her own happiness and wreaking havoc on the lives of those around her.

“We’re excited to bring back the film festival, due to popular demand,” said Charlie Prince, executive director of the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival. “For an opening film, we’re looking for something outrageously funny, with a fresh and original take on the comedy genre, and Michael Urie’s film hits all the marks.”

The Friars Club continues its commitment to comedy by nurturing new voices in entertainment through the film festival that promises six days of networking, parties, and laughter.  The festival offers filmmakers the opportunity to introduce their work to leading executives, comedians, and industry professionals. The Friars Club, known widely for its roasts and "100 years of antics," has a roster of members including the industry's top comedians and entertainers, from Frank Sinatra and Billy Crystal, to Whoopi Goldberg and Jerry Seinfeld.

For more information on the line up of films at this year’s Friars Club Comedy Film Festival, please visit http://www.friarsclub.com/filmfestival/.

About the Friars Club

The Friars Club was founded in 1904 as a meeting place for entertainers and over the years has achieved legendary status. Its membership includes the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Brian Williams, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Seinfeld, Rosario Dawson, Tom Cruise, Les Moonves, Whitney Cummings, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro. The Friars Club “Monastery” is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan in a classic townhouse and is a haven for entertainers young and old.

About the Comedy Film Festival

The Friars Club continues its tradition of commitment to comedy and nurturing new voices in entertainment with the Friars Club Comedy Film Festival. FCCFF seeks to give comedy films a world-class film festival to call home. On the calendar will be screenings of feature films, documentaries, and shorts from around the world, as well as panel discussions with leading film industry professionals. Films will be presented at the Friars Club clubhouse, supplemented by screenings at nearby theaters within walking distance. A panel of jurors comprised of filmmakers and professionals in the various fields of cinema will award the Festival's Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Best Short distinctions.