TOSketchFestBlog
Announcing the lineup of the 2026 TOsketchfest Film Festival presented by Shozer.
The TOsketchfest Film Festival Premiere Screening takes place live, in-person on Wednesday, March 4th @ 9:00PM at The Theatre Centre. Walk the blue shag carpet and rub shoulders with the filmmakers.
And on Saturday, March 14th @ 4:00PM – 5:30PM, TOsketchfest Film Festival hosts a Special Screening Event, The Toronto Premiere of Web Series “Like Comment Subscribe” by Marley Kajan, Connor Ferris, Sabina Olivia Lambert.
SPECIAL SCREENING EVENT:
Like Comment Subscribe by Bonus Feature
Told exclusively via the screens and devices that consume them, “Like Comment Subscribe” follows BFFs Meaghan and Avery, two of Toronto’s hottest social media influencers. With a dedicated following of #Veaghans and #Gayveries at their fingertips, these privileged Zillennials are consumed by their obsession with fame, fortune, and followers, which begins to wreak havoc on their relationships in the real world. As they fight to keep posting selfies while their personal lives fall apart, these two outrageous internet personalities are forced to figure out, “who are you when you aren’t online?”
Like Comment Subscribe (LCS) was written and created by Toronto-based actors and writers Marley Kajan and Connor Ferris who began developing the series during the pandemic. An integral part of the project’s creative vision, director Sabina Olivia Lambert (CBC Gem’s & Other Concerns, Queen) joined the team very shortly after. With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the first season of LCS was produced and has gone on to travel in a festival circuit first premiering in New York City at the Dances with Films Festival. LCS had its Canadian premiere at Montreal’s Festival Cours d’un Soir and the team is now excited to have found its hometown premiere with the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival.
LCS boasts an incredible cast of Toronto comedy scene regulars like Paloma Nuñez (Baronness Von Sketch, Disney’s Peter Pan & Wendy), Rami Khan (Potato Potato, Netflix’s BET), Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll (Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Ginny & Georgia), and Blair MacMillan (24 Double B, Super Dicks). Additionally, LCS is honoured to have the talents of Deborah Tennant (Schitt’s Creek, IT: Welcome to Derry), Yusuf Zine (What We Do in the Shadows, Doc), Taylor Love (Shelved, Soulfood), Matthew Thomas Rogers (Murdoch Mysteries) and Aaron Schwartz (My 90 Year-Old Roommate, King of Kensington).
Kajan, Ferris and Lambert are over the moon to watch the series with a Toronto audience for the first time. Following the Sketchfest premiere, episodes of Like Comment Subscribe will be launched to stream on YouTube for viewers far and wide. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok @lcsseries.
The Film Festival Lineup (alphabetically):
Creed by Bonus Feature
Bonus Feature is a sketch house team at The Pack Theater in Los Angeles, California that performs regularly sold out shows every month. When they aren’t writing and rehearsing for their home theater shows, they are participating in comedy variety shows all around LA. Members of Bonus Feature include Aleks Arcabascio, Dan Burger, Nia Ceasar, Diana Francis, Christine Lawless, Christopher Nakao, Lindsay Nuckel, Michael Shacket, Zach Stamps, Rebekah Swann, Monty Williams, and Gerald Yelverton.
IG: @BonusFeatureComedy
TT: @BonusFeatureComedy
YT: @bonusfeaturecomedy
https://linktr.ee/bonusfeaturecomedy
Crimes of Passion by Sammy & Ben Lewis
A lonely cop stumbles into an unexpected bloom of connection, discovering love where he least expected.
Samuel Lewis is a writer, director, and actor who makes funny things feel uncomfortable and uncomfortable things funny. He works across sketch comedy, short films, and music videos.
Ben Lewis is an Ottawa-based director/actor. He works construction and has two kids.
IG: @sammyjscorpion
Group Pic by Pete Cheema & Smashed Potato Kids
That guy who can’t get in the group pic.
Pete Cheema is a sketch comic/musician who pulls influence from artists such as Key & Peele, Bo Burnham, and Almost Friday. He’s a part of the Smashed Potato Kids, a sketch comedy and content creative group from Vancouver, Canada. 🔥🥔
IG: @pcheems
TT: @pcheems
YT: @SmashedPotatoKids
Haunted TikTok by The Absurdists (Chris Wilson & Adam Christie)
Chris and Adam stumble across a haunted TikTok. The Girl is getting roasted in the comment section.
Chris Wilson and Adam Christie are Toronto’s greatest sketch video duo — having produced as many as four sketches together that have amassed millions of views across platforms.
IG: @imchriswilson @adamchristiecomedian
TT: @imchriswilson
Headlights Written by Céline Tshika
HEADLIGHTS is a musical sketch about car culture at present. What starts as a complaint about the brightness of modern LED headlights on cars turns into a high-energy satirical car ad for the future that tech bros envision.
Céline Tshika is a Congolese-South African actor, screenwriter and stand-up comedian whose pivot into musical comedy became a viral phenomenon online. Her sketch ‘Capitalism’ got the attention of AJ+ with whom she is now working on a show from the Global South perspective. Her songs are produced by idol-turned-friend Mikhaela Faye, an accomplished musician based in Cape Town. On the video side, she’s worked with Director of Photography Meekaaeel Adam on these sketches, whose directorial debut ‘The Trek’ will premiere at Johannesburg Film Fest in 2026 and be released on Amazon Prime. With ‘Headlights,’ she at long last got to work with industry-friend and brother-in-arms Evan Wigdorowitz.
Director: Evan Wigdorowitz is a multidimensional South African filmmaker. He works across forms, from narrative to commercial and experimental projects. Drawing from a fine art background, he brings a hands-on, research-driven, and reflective approach to the medium. His work has screened at several international festivals, including a world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and as the centrepiece screening at the NYAIFF at Lincoln Centre.
https://www.celinetshika.com
IG: @celinetshika
TT: @celinetshika
FB: @celine.tshika
YT: @celinetshika
I Was a Bear by Nathaniel Sutton
Is Nathaniel Sutton a bear or a man? or a man bear? You decide. A short film by Nathaniel Sutton.
Nathaniel Sutton is a multi-instrumentalist with a flair for musical drama, always inspired by the depth of film music. In 2006, he attended post-secondary education and achieved a diploma in Audio Production, which lead him to compose the soundtracks for several independent films.
https://www.nathanielsutton.com
IG: @nathanielsuttonmusic
X: @nathanielsutton
FB: @nathanielsuttonmusic
YT: @nathanielsuttonmusic
I’m Here! by Becky Swannick, Maddy Foley, Liv Collict & Blair MacMillan
“Cleo” longs for a best friendship, like the one in her favourite tv show, ‘My Best Friend Toast’. With a sudden knock at the door, her wish comes true! Or so she thinks…
Fully written and created by 4 women within 3 weeks for the Toronto ‘Firecracker Dept’ challenge.
Hailing from Birmingham, UK, Becky is an acclaimed Queer Filmmaker, Film Editor and Multidisciplinary Artist currently residing in Toronto, Canada. She is a graduate of The Northern Film School, Leeds UK earning a BA with Honours in Film and Moving Image Production (2014). She has been working full time within Post-Production for over 5 years and has been independently Filmmaking for over 10 years, and recently became a 2025 Canadian Screen Award Nominee for Best Picture Editing on a digital series, with her other work screening on Canadian networks such as CBC and Bell Fibe as well as doing multiple Film Fest Circuits around the world.
Maddy Foley is an actor and writer with a deep passion for storytelling. After earning her B.Sc from the University of Toronto, she followed her creative instincts by studying Screenwriting at UCLA and Creative Writing at U of T. In 2019, she completed the Second City Conservatory program in Toronto, where she was nominated for the Tim Sims Award for sketch comedy. Maddy began her career appearing in web series such as Step Sisters and Allie and Lara Make a Horror Movie. She starred in the 2021 CBC Short Film Finalist Meg Writes a Reference Letter, and in 2024, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Toronto 48 Hr Film Festival. As an actor, Maddy has appeared in a range of projects, including Deaner ’89, CBC’s One More Time, The Boys, What We Do in the Shadows, Heartland, and Murdoch Mysteries. She currently stars as the titular character in Everybody’s Meg, a Bell Fibe TV1 series, which has been renewed for a second season.
IG: @beckyswannick @maddy_foleyfoley @livcollict @chandeblair
In My Head: Diva Cup by Noor Kaur Dhanda, Jono Hunter, Hools Kay, Margaret Rose, Adeel Shamsi
In My Head is a sketch comedy series that reveals the unfiltered inner monologues behind everyday life. Each standalone episode follows a different person experiencing an ordinary moment while their internal narrator spirals, overreacts, and tells the truth they would never say out loud. The stakes seem small, but inside our heads everything feels monumental. Blending sharp humour with painfully relatable honesty, the series turns silent overthinking into shared comedy and highlights the private melodrama beneath polite social behaviour. It proves our most dramatic, ridiculous, and revealing conversations are the ones happening quietly within us.
Noor Kaur Dhanda is a Punjabi-Canadian writer, performer, and producer whose work is shaped by perspective, identity, and a love of sharp, character driven comedy. She is drawn to the small, revealing moments people try to hide, where emotional honesty and humour meet in ways that feel both deeply personal and widely recognizable.
Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a natural ability to bridge the creative and business sides of the industry. Noor’s most recent achievements include being selected for the Netflix Diversity of Voices program at the Banff World Media Festival with In My Head, where she spent a week presenting the series to broadcasters, streamers, and production partners. She is now a producer on Season 2 of The Squeaky Wheel Canada, a first of its kind comedy sketch series, working across story, production, and creative development. These experiences have strengthened her ability to build comedy that is both creatively distinctive and ready for production, with a career path intentionally rooted in collaboration and collective strength.
Collaboration is central to Noor’s creative process. This project was built as a true collective, designed to showcase multiple comedic perspectives rather than a single point of view. The team includes Jono Hunter, a multidisciplinary filmmaker with a sharp visual eye and a reputation for elevating every project he touches; Hools Kay, a standout writer, comedian, and performer with her own series currently in development; Adeel Shamsi, a bold, visually dynamic director known for his stylish, high impact work; and Margaret Rose, a powerhouse performer, writer, and comedian with commanding presence and razor sharp instincts. The episode came together with rare creative ease, reflecting the strength of the ensemble.
Noor is currently building the series as a bold new platform for Canadian comedic talent, creating space for original voices to be seen, supported, and celebrated at scale.
IG: @inmyhead.comedy and @noordhanda
Kendie Karmen – Ecocyde Official Music Video by Hot Globe (dir. Jono Hunter)
A 3D animated scene. Kendie Karmen sits upon a branch vaping with a squirrel.
Hot Globe is a small team of funny artists whose focus is on the unfunny reality of climate change.
www.hotglobe.ca
IG: @hotglobeca
TT: @hotglobeca
YT: @HotGlobe
Math Horse by Septar
A history documentary about the life and accomplishments of Math Horse, the horse who could solve math problems.
Math Horse is a sketch made by Septar, a Philadelphia-based sketch comedy group formed in 2023. Septar produces multiple live shows per year with a mix of live and filmed sketches and has been selected for sketch festivals in San Francisco, NYC, Portland Maine, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Denver, where their sketch Math Horse won the Best Video Sketch award.
Math Horse is written, directed, and edited by Russ Bizaro with additional creative input from Septar and stars Lou Huang, Maureen McQuilkin, and Kyle Kerezsi.
IG: @septar_sketch
FB: @Septar-Sketch-Comedy-61556564671262
YT: @SeptarSketch
Monster Trucks by Tommy Marshall, Rhys Naylor
A couple’s anniversary dinner raises more questions than answers when their food is delayed. A lot more questions.
Tommy Marshall is a comedy director who delights in the sincere and the absurd. He believes wholeheartedly in the marriage between deeply silly comedy and genuinely cinematic visual language. He is currently developing an adaptation of that vine where that kid gets scared and goes “jesus christ” for Quibi (he’s also trying to bring Quibi back but that’s a whole other thing).
“Rhys Naylor is a Canadian actor, comedian, and writer. He is a current member of Second City Toronto’s National Touring Company and an alum of the Bad Dog Theatre Featured Players. A 2025 finalist in the World’s Biggest Improv Tournament, he has performed across Canada with his troupe, Little Miss Normal.”
IG: @prestige.television @rhysnaylor
Neck Pillow by Brother Mouth & Craig Melville
Billy’s 14 hour flight takes a tragic turn when he discovers he’s forgotten to pack his beloved neck pillow.
Brother Mouth™ is a creative collective producing original, humor-driven content.
Inspired by the French house scene of the 90s, Brother Mouth™ was formed by two brothers to use music and content as a vehicle to comment on popular culture. They’re famous for only revealing their mouths while wearing their signature ‘Mouth-Clavas™’.
They live by the motto; ‘TU AS UNE BOUCHE. UTILISE LA’. (which loosely translates to, ‘you have a mouth, use it.’
They have been referred to by some as the new-age French Milli Vanilli. Others like to think of them as the next Daft Punk but with far less talent and Grammys.
Craig Melville directed ‘Neck Pillow’, continuing their collaboration with Brother Mouth after the debut music video ‘Douche Canoe.’ Craig’s award-winning work spans music videos, television, and advertising.
https://www.brothermouth.com
IG: @brothermouthofficial
TT: @brothermouth
X: @BrotherMouthOG
FB: @brothermouthofficial
YT: @BrotherMouth
NO WORRIES IF NOT by Céline Tshika
‘No worries if not’ is a musical sketch about a recovering people-pleaser trying to enter her ‘villain era’ by setting gentle boundaries.
Céline Tshika is a DRC-born, South Africa-raised actor, comedian, and filmmaker based in Cape Town. After an Engineering “degree for the parents,” she studied Acting for Film in Los Angeles and began her comedy career. Known for her satirical sketches Stank Like a Man and the acclaimed mockumentary The Wapidemic, she transitioned to the stage in 2021, becoming a 2023 Jive Funny Championship finalist and winner of the 2025 Savanna Comic’s Choice ‘Innovative Comedy Performance of the Year.’
Branching out online into musical comedy sketches, her viral creations seamlessly translated to parody songs onstage, showcasing her distinctive comedic voice. Fully embracing her roots as a musical theatre kid, she continues to captivate audiences with her unique blend of talent in satire, music, and storytelling. She has no plans to return to Engineering, but thanks for asking.
https://www.celinetshika.com
IG: @celinetshika
TT: @@celinetshika
FB: @celine.tshika
YT: @celinetshika
Six Pack by Peter N’ Chris
Peter and Chris sit on a beach contemplating the realities of recycling. They conclude it doesn’t work and immediately face the consequences.
Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson have toured extensively as comedy duo Peter N’ Chris — performing at several Just For Laughs Festivals as well as winning 5 Canadian Comedy Awards. Chris Wilson is also a cast member of CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes
IG: @peterchrisshow
TT: @imchriswilson
YT: @imchriswilson
Shorts on Stage by Mark Corless
A manager sells out a comedy show, then tries to force the headliner into wearing shorts at the last minute.
Mark Corless is a writer, director and cinematographer based out of Toronto, Canada. He has been involved in comedy since a young age and continues to work as a cameraman in TV and direct comedy shorts.
Conrad Osei is an independent filmmaker living and working in Toronto.
www.videocanale.com
IG: @kalakaboo
The Magnificent Gyno by The Red Hot Sili Peppers
A woman gets her first pap smear and her doctor practices a new hobby.
The creative team is made up of award-winning sketch troupe, The Red Hot Sili Peppers (Emily Callahan, Julia Ettlinger, Glenna Walters), and award-winning director, Adeel Shamsi. Everyone met in an improv class at The Second City in Toronto. While their creative and comedic pursuits have pulled them in many directions, they were very excited to reunite for this project.
The Magnificent Gyno is based on a live sketch, originally written and performed by The Red Hot Sili Peppers, and has come a long way since its first appearance as a 30 second blackout sketch. The creators leveraged the premise-prov brain The Second City taught them way back when to develop it into a 6-and-a-half minute short.
Glenna Walters is an accomplished Canadian actor who is known for roles in: Anne With An E (Netflix/CBC), Baroness Von Sketch (CBC), and Law & Order TO: Criminal Intent (City TV).
Julia Ettlinger is a multi-passionate creative known for playing Brooke in Prime Video’s queer holiday film Last Ex-Mas. She is based in Los Angeles.
Emily Callahan is a communications professional and comedian. She performs standup, improv, and sketch across Toronto – and other major cities.
Adeel Shamsi is a Toronto-based writer/director whose passion for storytelling led him from music videos to major brand campaigns, short films, documentaries, and a 2025 Super Bowl commercial.
IG: @redhotsilipepperss
TT: @redhotsilipepperss
The Man With The Future Camera by I Majored in Film Productions – Nicholas Porteous, Bryan Nothling, Francis Melling, Antony Hall, Hayden Finkelshtain, Joel Bazin
A camera with the power to glimpse anyone’s future falls into the hands of a small business owner working out of his condo. He’s got spoilers for your life. And he’s about to get his first repeat customer.
Nicholas Porteous is an actor and filmmaker. He voices Tino (the dinosaur airplane) as well as countless dads on Super Wings, which is a huge deal if you’re 7 years old. He does a bunch of other stuff too. Check out nicholasporteous.com for more.
Bryan Nothling is a performer, content creator, writer and musician. You can mostly find him on the internet singing food-based musical comedy songs and reviewing chocolate.
Francis Melling is an actor, director, and musician. He can be seen in Murdoch Mysteries, What We Do in the Shadows, Man Seeking Woman, Wexford Plaza, or bed-rotting in his Parkdale apartment.
http://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/nospoilersthepodcast
IG: @picolas
The Will by Seb Decter
The Will is the story of two young men who attend the will reading of their late, Youtube famous brother. Writer-Director Seb Decter wanted to write a sketch that could be shot in one location on one day, with a handful of friends. He wanted a short with a strong but simple premise, something that he might have seen on CollegeHumor when he was a teen.
My name is Seb Decter, I’m a writer and filmmaker from Toronto. I recently wrote and directed a short documentary about my Grandmother: “Abuela’s Life Story” for the CBC Creator Network. I wrote and directed The Will, which was shot and edited by my friend Aidan Barnes. Aidan is a filmmaker and music video director who frequently works with artists like 9Million and Webb.
The Will stars Toronto stand-up and actor Michael Kolberg, who recently appeared in “Matt and Mara” alongside Matt Johnson. Acting opposite Mikey is acclaimed filmmaker Ben Roberts (“Spider’s Web”). I love Ben’s films, and I liked putting him in my dumb sketch because it reminded me of when John Cassavetes was in “The Dirty Dozen.” Rounding out the cast is my elementary school pal Sam Gundy, who’s talent and enthusiasm has made him a mainstay of the Toronto short film scene.
https://lnk.bio/sebsdvds
IG: @Sebsdvds
There May Have Been A Mistake by Alex Kolanko
A man wakes up trapped in a basement with only a video tape and a hammer. Can he escape?
Alex Kolanko is a writer and comedian from Toronto, who is a staple in the Toronto Sketch and Improv community. He was a member of The Sketchersons and the multimedia comedy group Public Works. Alex is a regular on The Bad Dog Theatre stage, and has created shows such as The Disaster and Super Hot Date Night. Alex has written the hit KidsFest play Gremlin Hour, which debuted at The Toronto Fringe Festival. He created the long running alt-comedy show The Disaster and the fan favourite character show Monster Island. Most recently, he wrote and directed mockumentary Let’s Gentrify Hamilton for Bell Fibe TV1.
IG: @just-a-turd
TT: @just-a-turd
X: @alexkolanko
Tunnel of Fear by Brandon Hicks
A short animated film in which a couple enter a haunted house at an amusement park, only to find that it is currently under construction…or is it?
Brandon Hicks is the Canadian Chair of the National Cartoonist Society, and his work has appeared in several publications, including MAD, Fangoria, National Lampoon, Studio and the [EDIT], where he serves as Comics Editor. His plays and short films have won international awards, and he is the author/illustrator of several books—most recently, “On The Border” from Conundrum Press.
IG: @brandonhickscomics
YT: @bmaniscool1
Xegetude by Becky Swannick & Little Miss Normal
Just talk to your doctor.
Becky Swannick is a Filmmaker and Film Editor from Birmingham, UK livin’ in Toronto. After attending The Northern Film School in Leeds, she spent 8 years training and performing in live sketch and improvised comedy before merging her two passions together, yum! The cast consists of members of Toronto’s improv supergroup Little Miss Normal, which includes past and present Second City Mainstage and Tour Co performers, alumni of Bad Dog’s Featured Players program, and TV stars and writers for shows like This Hour Has 22 Minutes, What We Do In the Shadows, and For Heaven’s Sake. One Little Miss Normal performer is the Writer/Producer of Xegetude, Griffin Toplitsky, who has previously won Best Animated Short at Toronto Sketchfest Film Festival, though it’s going to be a lot harder for him to repeat that with this particular one.
https://beckyswannick.com/
IG: @beckyswannick
TT: @beckyswannick
YT: @beckyswannick
