The Just For Laughs Festival has never faced such uncertainty.
“I have a friend whose car is painted with Just For Laughs, and people are giving him the finger on the street and throwing stuff at his car,” said Montreal comedian Derek Seguin.
Co-founder Gilbert Rozon stepped down in disgrace after multiple allegations of sexual assault, and promised to sell his majority stake in the company.
READ MORE: Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon resigns amid allegations
At the same time, a collective of French comedians upset about the Rozon allegations have decided to start their own festival. Some have questioned the move.
“I did find it quite hasty,” Seguin said. “I’m not trying to diminish the horrible nature of what caused all this to happen, but right away: ‘Boycott Just Pour Rire!’ ‘It’s dead to us!'”
“Why create a new festival when there’s already one going strong that we built in the past 30 years?” wondered LaPresse cultural columnist Nathalie Petrowski. “It has experience and expertise from people working there. Why destroy all that because a bunch of comedians don’t like Gilbert Rozon, who’s not even there anymore?”
Even though it’s all owned by Rozon, the English and French festivals are very different.
“It’s one company, but two solitudes in that one company,” Petrowski said.
Backlash is loud on the French side, but does that affect the English side’s ability to attract the biggest names in the world? Local comedians don’t think so.
“I bet you 90 per cent of English comedians who have performed at Just for Laughs couldn’t match Gilbert Rozon with Gilbert Rozon’s face,” said Seguin.
“Comedians that come to Montreal — they’ve all been here — I think they like Montreal. I think it’s a happy change from Toronto,” said Petrowski.
There is also the question of government subsidies.
“If the French festival is attacked and loses government funds, of course, it’s going to have a repercussion on Just For Laughs. It’s the same envelope,” Petrowski believes.
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If government support dries up for Just for Laughs, she wonders if someone with deep pockets elsewhere could seize the opportunity.
“In Toronto, money grows on trees. They’re always looking to see what we’re doing, and there’s always this danger.”
Just For Laughs already runs a festival in Toronto.
“JFL42 is a very successful festival for them,” said Seguin. “Is there room for another one? You would think. It’s a smaller festival than the one here in Montreal and there’s three times the amount of English people there. If some rich guy that will treat comedians well and be an ethical business operator, please. Try to beat Just For Laughs. Try to build the biggest comedy festival in the world.”
He also worries about Just For Laughs losing corporate support.
“Will some private money be pulled back because they don’t want their money associated with the circumstance right now?” Seguin said.
Just For Laughs was not available for comment on this story, but released a statement on Thursday underlining its importance to the Quebec economy.
“The Montreal Festival Juste pour rire/Just for Laughs Festival alone generates nearly $34 million in added value to GDP,” they wrote.
Even with questions swirling, it’s hard for Montreal comedians to imagine Just For Laughs going away.
“I think at Juste Pour Rire everything’s changing, but at Just For Laughs they’re like ‘let’s go forward,’ said Montreal comedian Mike Paterson. “Just For Laughs is such a giant corporation. It’s been going on for 25 years, I don’t think it’s going to be taken away.”
Until a new owner is announced, the future of Just For Laughs will remain up in the air.
“I think the natural buyers are more likely to be American OTT players, such as Amazon or Netflix,” Quebec business mogul Alexandre Taillefer told Global News. “I think Just For Laughs is the jewel in the mix. The link between Juste Pour Rire and Just for Laughs are not that important and one can live without the other,” he said.
Whoever the buyer, Seguin says the hundreds of people who work at the festival year-round should not be forgotten
“I do think the brand and the wonderful people who work hard at the company will make it a positive thing. We will come out the other side with a fantastic Just For Laughs and Juste Pour Rire and hopefully a great Festival du rire too.”
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