TOSketchFestBlog
Announcing the lineup of the 2025 TOsketchfest Film Festival presented by New Metric Media.
The Toronto Sketch Comedy Film Festival Premiere Screening takes places live, in-person on Wednesday March 5th 2025 at The Theatre Centre @ 9:00PM EST. Walk the blue shag carpet and rub shoulders with the filmmakers at
The Lineup:
#GloryForGary by Five Minute Funeral
This documentary explores one man’s journey to honour the memory and legacy of their deceased father.
Five Minute Funeral is a new group comprised of Andrew, Ryan and Tyler, with all of them sharing duties writing, directing and acting in their sketch comedy shorts. The group draws influences from Canadian sketch shows like SCTV and Kids in the Hall as well as SNL and MadTV plus too many stand up comedians to mentions. This is their first time at any event and they all have diarrhea about it.
IG: @fiveminutefuneral
TT: @fiveminutefuneral
YT: @fiveminutefuneral
Breakups Are Always Hard by Jono Hunter, Amit Ohm, Nick Atef, Glenna Walters
A doctor goes through one of the toughest moments of his life: losing his beloved patient.
Jono Hunter is a director, and has an award winning web series called “Night Drives”. Nick Atef and Glenna Walters are actors who regularly perform comedy in Toronto. Amit Ohm is a huge fan of comedy and has been writing scripts for over ten years.
IG:
@jmbhunter
@amitohm
@nickatef
@glenna.walters
day in the life [chained to a pipe by a serial killer edition] by Brick Penguin
Just a sneak peek into the life of your favorite social media influencer <3 Come along and spend a productive day being kidnapped and tortured in a basement. (Don’t worry, it’s chill.)
Brick Penguin is the longest-running, highest-octane, hardest-hitting, most stupendous, most attractive, least litigious, funniest, best, most remarkable sketch group to ever come out of Washington, DC. Since 2010, Brick Penguin has been entertaining audiences in DC and has quickly become the longest-running, most attractive, et al., group ever in festivals across New York, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Philadelphia, North Carolina, and Baltimore.
IG: @brickpenguin
Douche Canoe by Brother Mouth & Craig Melville
Brother Mouth presents ‘Douche Canoe’, a music video that satirizes the greedy, environmentally destructive elites who can’t tell their mouths from their derrières.
Artist: Brother Mouth
Creative Director: Dave Gibson
Director: Craig Melville
Executive Producer: Thomas Gibson
Producer: Larissa Anako
IG: @brothermouthofficial
TT: @brothermouth
X: @BrotherMouthOG
FB: @brothermouthofficial
YT: @brothermouth
W: https://bio.site/brothermouth
Death By Vitamin C Written by, Produced by and Starring Susan Serrao. Directed by Sandy Hoekstra. Featuring Victoria Souter, Jessica Garcie, Nancy Ngo and Laura Yenga
Have you ever been addicted to health foods, supplements, super foods or any other fad diet/lifestyle? Ever feel like it’s controlling your life? Like if you don’t follow it step by step it will be the end of everything in your life as you know it? That’s how Chantel feels about her new favourite drink/supplement, Vitamin C. How far will Chantel go before she fizzles out? Can her friends stop her before she goes too far? How far can you go with a supplement like Vitamin C before there’s no turning back? Find out in Death By Vitamin C!
Susan Serrao is a comedian, actor, writer and creator who produces her own work. She is also a single mom of 4 sons seeking the fame and fortune of the comedy lifestyle in the land of Calgary and beyond! Susan studied comedy at Upright Citizen’s Brigade (NYC and LA), Loose Moose Theatre (Calgary) and life (everywhere!). She finds humour in everyday occurrences and in the silly thoughts that interrupt her glamourously milfy lifestyle (think hockey arenas and grocery stores). Having performed internationally with people such as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dave Foley, Kevin MacDonald, Lamorne Morris and Juno Temple, Susan’s presence, comedic timing and commitment to character draws the audience in and keeps them on the edge of their seats. She is known for fearlessly pushing the line while keeping the audience safe, engaged and laughing their god damn faces off. Most recently, Susan wrote, directed and starred in short film Love Stuck as part of the Igniter Challenge with the Canadian Film Festival and the Firecracker Department. She also has a feature film in development that she co-wrote called Back Road. Susan is a “YouTuber”, as her kids like to say, who has over 4.2M views and over 15K subscribers on her channel “Susan Serrao Sketch N Stuff” which includes her sketch series Sketchy Beavers (co-created with Jamie Matchullis), Sandy and Susan Do Stupid Shit (co-created with Sandy Hoekstra) and her most recent, series got milf?. You can also listen to Susan chat with Calgary-based female artists on her podcast; Completely Off Topic, With Susan Serrao which is available on Telus Optics, and her YouTube channel. Check her out! Death By Vitamin C Written, Produced and Cast by Susan Serrao Directed, Edited and Assoc. Prod. by Sandy Hoekstra DP and Colourist – Rachelle Hughes Cast Chantel – Susan Serrao Ruby – Nancy Ngo Sandra – Victoria Souter Meghan – Jessica Garcie Server – Laura Yenga Camera – Akim Vincent and Ryan Wishart Location Sound – Thomas Foote and Akim Vincent Special thanks to Colette Nwachi and BNA Brewing.
IG:
@iamsusanserrao
@sandy_hoekstra_
@victoriajsouter
@jessicagarcie
@__illuminancy__ @laurayenga
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@SusanSerraoSketchnStuff
Cuhz by These Triggas
Fam, you can’t just have an American cousin drop in like that!
These Triggas is Canada’s answer to In Living Color. Irreverent, daring, and hilarious. This show will utilize the power, the insecurities, and the injustice of being Black in Canada to generate hilarity. Comedy BY Black Canadians, ABOUT being Black in Canada, FOR everyone in Canada. Cuhz is written by the show’s creator Anthony Q. Farrell and directed by Cory Bowles. It features the performers Ajahnis Charley, Brandon Hackett, Dayton Sinkia, Hannan Younis, and Jonathan Langdon. The sketch was produced by Canfro Productions and LetterFIFTY Productions.
IG: aqfarrell
TT: @TheseTriggas
YT: @TheseTriggas
F.A.S.H. by Alex Vance
FASH is a harassment training video! about a new way for womxn to protect themselves.
Alex Vance is a female filmmaker based out of Vancouver, BC. She met actress/producer Alison Chang in the Vancouver sketch comedy group the “Smashed Potato Kids” or SPK and have collaborated on other sketches and musical numbers together. Alex met Christina Marie Adams while working for Vancouver’s renown 48 hour film festival: Run N Gun – and have collaborated on previous projects together. Fun Fact: FASH was first presented as a live sketch during SPK’s first live show!
IG: @a_hodgie
Maple, She Wrote by Yes, Let’s! Media
Seasoned detective Detective Michelle Agave is called to uncover the truth as a scandal unfolds amongst maple syrup giants. From ex-employees, to heirs of maple royalty; everyone wants a piece of the pancake. As interrogations ensue, more layers are peeled back as we see into the cutthroat world of the maple syrup industry.
Yes Let’s Media is a collective of female filmmakers, comprising of Krystle Meixner, Kayla Subica and MK Morris with Joanne Gnatek. With a focus on comedic storytelling, Maple, She Wrote was born out of the Fire Cracker Igniter series, an initiative to have more women and non-binary people step into the world of creating comedic short films! Maple, She Wrote was chosen to premiere at the 2024 Canadian Film Festival, a real accomplishment for the collective first short film! Top to bottom, our cast, our crew, and all the helping hands that shaped this short film are to thank for solving this mystery of a murder.
IG:
@yesletsmedia
@mk_morris
@joannegnatek
@kaylasubica
@frickstle
Night Drives: Goin’ Down by
Tired of terrestrial transportation, Alex and Jono somehow find themselves in command of a plane.
Night Drives is an award-winning animated sketch comedy series about the joy and futility of life. Shot in live action and rotoscoped after the fact.
IG:
@jmbhunter
@ilovenightdrives
TT: @ilovenightdrives
W:
Ilovenightdrives.com
Jmbhunter.com
Onlyfans by Tommy Marshall
Charlie and Bono find out that their friend Terry has an Onlyfans page and its really blowing up.
Onlyfans was written, directed and edited by Tommy Marshall. Tommy is a comedy first filmmaker who studied film at TMU as well as The Second City Film School in Chicago, IL. Tommy cherishes silliness above all else, if we can’t have a little laugh then we will never make it out of this whole weird thing alive. His short film Antarctica, the Last Frontier was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Short at last year’s edition of the TOSketchfest Film Festival. The film stars Myles and Lauren Andrews (both of whom also starred in Antaractica, the Last Frontier) as well as Tommy himself as the titular Onlyfans creator. The film was shot by Aaron Hanek (you guessed it he also shot Antarctica). The film was shot on an absurdly hot July weekend with no crew over the course of two long days. By all means we absolutely should have gone crazy and killed one another, but we’ve been doing this together in some variation for a while and thankfully we all love each other very much.
IG: @prestige.television
TT: @tommymarshall
Parking Lot For Virgins by Alex Kolanko
A commercial for the new parking lot for virgins
Alex Kolanko is a pervert with a camera
IG: @just_a_turd
TT: @just_a_turd
X: @alexkolanko
Real Actual Skaters by Sidetracked Show
Three Real Actual Skaters (who definitely aren’t posers) make their very own skate tape.
Sidetracked Show. Three friends, roommates, and collaborators since 2010. Creating absurd, cinematic sketches with a DIY spirit.
IG: @sidetrackedshow
TT: @sidetrackedshow
X: @sidetrackedshow
YT: https://youtube.com/@sidetrackedshow
Samaritan by Tony Ho
The existence of Good Samaritans implies the existence of just regular Samaritans.
Tony Ho took some time off from making movies so they could make some TV and also some babies and some cabinetry as well. Now? They’re back, this time with help from friends like Edward Pond, Chris Sandiford, Gwynne Phillips and Chris Sandiford.
IG: @TonyHoSucks
Slop King by Andy Assaf, Peter Schnobb
A documentary about one of the least known culinary geniuses.
WRITTEN BY AND STARRING Andy Assaf – Andy Assaf, originally from Montreal, is a Toronto based sketch and improv comedian and is a Second City Toronto Mainstage alum where he wrote and performed 3 Sketch Revues. You might know him from as the Cravensworth’s MONSTER on season 6 of What We Do In The Shadows on Fx, the Recruit on Netflix, or you might have seen him as that guy in the Domino’s commercial. He has toured to multiple sketch and improv festivals around Canada and the US.
DIRECTED BY PETER SCHNOBB – Peter Schnobb is an award-winning Cinematographer based out of Toronto, Canada. In 2019, Peter received a Juno Award certificate for Music Video of the Year for his work on “No Depression” by Bahamas, directed by Ali Eisner.
IG: @msweetandysour
TT: @sweetandysour
X: @sweetandysour
W: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnmUEu_1xDE
Something Bad That Happened in My Past by Mike Mildon and Clare Mcdonnell
As they embark on their most ambitious crime yet, a seasoned criminal must confront the shadows of his past.
Mike Mildon is an award winning filmmaker and comedian living in Toronto, Ontario. 2021 marked his TV debut with For Heaven’s Sake, a true crime comedy series produced by Muse Entertainment and Funny or Die. He executive produced, wrote, and exploited his entire family for the series, which aired on Paramount+ and CBC. The series was nominated for 3 Canadian Screen Awards (which included ‘Best Series – Factual’ and ‘Best Writing – Factual’). Before TV, his claim to fame was his comedy sketch troupe, Trophy Husbands, where he has written, directed, and released over 40 shorts onto the World Wide Web. His short films have attracted millions of views online and have been featured on some of the top websites including Amazon Prime, Funny or Die, and Huffington Post. He continues to implement his genre-bending style and sense of humour in the television and commercial spaces, having directed spots for some of the biggest brands in Canada (Tim Hortons, RBC, McDonalds, etc).
Clare McConnell an actor and comedian best known for portraying ‘Effie Newsome’ on the popular CBC series Murdoch Mysteries and Klingon Leader ‘Dennas’ on the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Discovery. Additional television credits include American Gods (Starz), Coroner(The CW), Killjoys (Syfy), Nurses (Global/NBC), Wynonna Earp (Syfy) and Hudson & Rex (Citytv). I’m also an alumna of the Second City Mainstage, and was nominated for “Breakout Artist” at the 2018 Canadian Comedy Awards.
IG: @mikemildon @itsclaremcconnell
W: mikemildon.com
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TrophyHusbands
The Drake Sisters by Wench World Productions Becky Swannick, Maddy Foley and Blair MacMillan
Two sisters struggle to make a commercial for their used car dealership, resulting in an existential crisis.
Director: Hailing from Birmingham, UK, Becky Swannick is an acclaimed Queer Filmmaker, Film Editor, Comedian and Multidisciplinary Artist currently residing in Toronto, Canada. After graduating from The Northern Film School, Leeds UK in 2014, Becky has spent 8 years in live comedy, particularly in writing and performance and has since merged her love of filmmaking with her love of Comedy!
Cast: Maddy Foley is a Toronto-based actor and writer with a passion for storytelling. After earning her BSc from the University of Toronto, Maddy followed her creative instincts, studying Screenwriting at UCLA and UCB, and completing the Second City Conservatory program in Toronto. As an actor, Maddy has appeared in Deaner ‘89, One More Time, The Boys, and What We Do in the Shadows. Blair MacMillan is a Toronto based Actor, Writer, Comedian and cohost of Girl Historians Podcast. She has appeared in Homeschooled, Murdoch Mysteries and Twin Lies and can be regularly seen performing comedy in and around Toronto.
IG: @beckyswannick.mov
W: beckyswannick.com
The Fart Genie by Murray Cummings
Just when you thought it was safe to fart! It’s the morning after a first date that’s gone REALLY well… The only problem is… she needs to fart… but that’s ok. It’s not like a thousand year old Genie is going to pop out of her butt and announce it to everybody!
Murray Cummings is a director, screenwriter and songwriter born in London. He is passionate about music and comedy and received a masters in screenwriting from Royal Holloway University.
Michael Diaz aka 36th degree is an animator from the UK. He is a passionate and professional designer with a strong eye for detail in Motion Graphics and Animation.
IG: @murraycummings
X: @murraycummings
YT: @murraycummings
What About Mexico? by Jack Creaghan, Brendan Kane, Blair MacMillan, Jesse McQueen
Brendan has started a new business and he’s excited to show his friends but Jack always they were going to do business together someday. Ouchie!
Jack Creaghan, Brendan Kane, Blair MacMillan and Jesse McQueen will be known collectively, from here on out, as DOUBLE BJ.
They’re starting a business together.
Visit byoboss.info to stay on top of this new and exciting opportunity.
IG: @jackey_cee
The Perfect Bite by Mike Mildon & Bryan Nothling
Two rival foodies crash the same party, fueled by whispers of an epic charcuterie board, turning their hunt for the perfect bite into a hilariously high-stakes battle of taste and ego.
Mike Mildon is an award-winning filmmaker and comedian living in Toronto, Ontario. His passion for film and comedy is the driving force behind each project he does. 2021 marked his TV debut with For Heaven’s Sake, a true-crime comedy series produced by Muse Entertainment and Funny or Die. He executive produced, wrote, and exploited his entire family for the series, which aired on Paramount+ and CBC. The series was nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Series – Factual and Best Writing – Factual.In addition to his work on For Heaven’s Sake, Mike directed Season 1 of Ghosting for CBC in 2024 Before TV, his claim to fame was his comedy sketch troupe, Trophy Husbands, where he wrote, directed, and released over 40 shorts onto the World Wide Web. His short films have attracted millions of views online and have been featured on top platforms, including Amazon Prime, Funny or Die, and Huffington Post. He continues to implement his genre-bending style and sense of humor in the television and commercial spaces, having directed spots for some of the biggest brands in Canada (Tim Hortons, RBC, McDonald’s, etc).
IG: @mikemildon
TT: @thebnoth
W: mikemildon.com
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TrophyHusbands
When the memes too long by Sidetracked Show
Luc shows Adam and Tim a meme that’s far too long
Sidetracked Show. Three friends, roommates, and collaborators since 2010. Creating absurd, cinematic sketches with a DIY spirit.
IG: @sidetrackedshow
TT: @sidetrackedshow
X: @sidetrackedshow
YT: https://youtube.com/@sidetrackedshow
