Montreal: This year’s 17th edition of the Just For Laughs comedy festival, July 15-25, is playing with a full deck of comedy professionals – from talent scouts to network program and development executives, producers, casting directors and managers. As for performers, selected headliners include Frasier’s David Hyde Pierce, straight-talking talk show sensation Jerry Springer, the brilliant Howie Mandel, ‘The King of Queens’ Kevin James, Elayne Boosler, Anthony Clark, Richard Jeni, Harland Williams and popular comedy vet Emo Philips.

Festival production highlights (spin-offs) from Distribution Rozon this year include an eight half-hour show deal with host Jack Dee for bbc, a first; a series of live shows for the World Improv Championships, hosted by Sean Cullen for Canada’s Comedy Network; 13 new episodes of the JFL Comedy Festival, broadcast on cbc; and a series of specials for Radio-Canada.

The festival will host over 500 performers, more than 1,000 shows and performances of all kinds, including free shows and a film festival, and a large contingent of industry professionals, as many as 1,000, from the u.s., Canada and Europe, says festival president and ceo Andy Nulman.

Key industry figures confirmed for JFL ’99 include Rick Messina, Messina Baker; Jordan Levin, senior vp development, Warner Bros.; Kathleen Letterie, senior vp casting, wb; Jerry Seinfeld’s manager and Seinfeld co-exec producer George Shapiro, Shapiro West & Associates; and George Anthony, creative head, entertainment at cbc.

Also attending: Ed Robinson, vp programming, Comedy Network; Larry Divney, an exec with Comedy Central; James Dixon, vp, William Morris Agency; Emile Levisetti, vp comedy, 20th Century Fox; Debbie Drimmer, vp talent, Comedy Central; Bob Huber, vp casting, Fox Broadcasting; Julie Pernworth, director of casting development, nbc; and Keli Lee, vp casting and talent development, Walt Disney Television.

Industry events

The Just For Laughs Marketplace consists of five Industry Event programs:

* The Sitcom Writing & Development Workshop: A Tribute to Home Improvement (July 22). This workshop, led by Writers Boot Camp founder Jeff Gordon, examines all aspects of the hit series development and financing and features Carmen Finestra, Home Improvement’s co-creator and exec producer; exec producers Bruce Ferber and Elliot Shoenman; producer Marley Sims; story editor Kim Flagg; Suzanne Bukinik, vp development, ABC Television; and Rick Messina, manager of the series’ star Tim Allen.

* Chasing the Possible Dream: How to Get Your Film Made (July 23) features panelists Adam Krentzman of talent agency cca; Irene Romero, Republic Bank, entertainment division; and moderator Michael Helfant, senior exec vp Dimension Films.

* The industry keynote speech, ‘How Bean Became an International Star,’ (July 23), will be delivered by Peter Bennett-Jones, Rowan Atkinson’s manager.

* The State of the Industry Address (July 24) is again from acerbic stand-up comedian and ace industry critic Andy Kindler. Kindler appears on a regular basis on the cbs sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.

* A seminar on the subject ‘How Can French Speaking Countries Work Closer Together’ (July 21) looks at a range of issues including script adaptation, live performance, tv and film. Panelist include Avanti Cine Video producer Jean Bissonnette (La Petite Vie, Un Gars, Une Fille), sodec president Pierre Lampron and Paris-based talent agent Jean-Marc Ghamassia. src news anchor Stephan Bureau is panel moderator.

All jfl industry program events offer simultaneous French translation and are being held in the ballroom of the downtown Delta Hotel.

‘The program has been conceived to allow industry people from across Canada and around the world to rub shoulders together, and at a affordable price. This is our network and we want to share it,’ says Robin Altman, jfl director of industry programming.

Nulman [Rozon] and partners are in development on two sitcom series, including one with cbc.

This year’s jfl festival has a budget of $16 million including tv production. Principal sponsors are Loto-Quebec and Labatt Bleue.