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I Used to Be Funny film image

I Used to Be Funny

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Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott) used to be funny. She used to spend her nights working the comedy clubs of Toronto and her days as an au pair for Brooke, a young teen struggling with the recent passing of her mother. Now Sam hides from the world, tormented by PTSD from an unseen event. Faced with the news that Brooke has fled home, Sam struggles to make the choice whether or not to help track down the missing teen or leave the past behind.

Flipping between present and past, director Ally Pankiw carefully peels back the layers of Sam’s inner psyche as she processes the events herself, structuring the film around her recovery. Sennott’s talents are on full display as she masterfully balances the dramatic weight of the film’s most barbed moments with the wry humor that cuts through it all. Utilizing Sennott’s real world live performances only prove that Sam, and Sennott are stars in the making.

 

October 3 & 5: Q&A with actor  Olga Petsa & producer James Weyman

 

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Series Media Partner

     

Director
Cast

Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon

Credits
Country of Origin

Canada

Year

2023

Series

Showcase

Language

English

Content Warning

Sexual Violence, Drug and Alcohol Abuse

18+

At International Village

19+

At The Rio

105 min
Comedy Drama

Book Tickets

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Credits

Executive Producer

Li-Wei Chu, Ally Pankiw, Judy Holm, Paul Barkin, Mark Gingras, John Laing, Jordan Nahmias

Producer

James Weyman, Jason Aita, Breann Smordin

Screenwriter

Ally Pankiw

Cinematography

Nina Djacic

Editor

Curt Lobb

Production Design

Ciara Vernon

Original Music

Ames Bessada

Director

Ally Pankiw headshot

Ally Pankiw

After being named one of Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 15 Canadian Talents to Watch,” Ally Pankiw made her TV directing debut with Netflix’s Feel Good, created by and starring comedian Mae Martin. Pankiw directed and executive produced the show’s first season, which has been critically acclaimed as one of the best series of 2020 and boasts the coveted “100% Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. Pankiw has since directed on Hulu’s Shrill, starring Aidy Bryant, and Emmy-nominated show, The Great starring Elle Fanning. In addition to her work in film and TV, Pankiw has built an impressive career in music videos and branded content. Pankiw has also directed and produced videos for artists including Katy Perry, Phoebe Bridgers, and Ariana Grande.

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