Bruce Hills(I)
- Producer
Just For Laughs President Bruce Hills has been the driving force behind the world's biggest comedy festival and most prestigious comedy brand for over 30 years. Bruce oversees Just For Laughs in all its forms in all English speaking markets around the world. As COO, his mission is to grow the business, increase both its profitability and value by developing TV and digital broadcast deals, maximizing ticket sales, government grants and corporate sponsors as well as integral partnerships. His main focus is now on building unique festivals and events around the world and growing their broadcast co-producing partnerships.
Starting with his first role as a driver, Bruce has done almost every job imaginable in the organization, including time as Director of Programming and Vice-President of International Television, which saw him work with some of the biggest names in comedy, including Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Rogen, Chris Rock, and Jon Stewart. To mark the 35th anniversary of the Montreal festival, Just For Laughs was recognized by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television with the Canadian Screen Awards' Icon Award, which was presented by Dave Chappelle on the nationally televised awards broadcast. Bruce was hailed by the UK edition of GQ magazine as "the most powerful man in international comedy" and was humbled to be acknowledged by Dave Chappelle as the "Comedy Curator of a Generation" at the Montreal Festival.
The Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal is going into its 36th year and is widely known as the "Cannes of Comedy". Drawing over 2 million festival-goers every summer it's the largest and most prestigious comedy event in the world. The 3-week festival features over 200 indoor shows in clubs and theatres, hundreds of free outdoor shows and a conference that draws the biggest players and brands in the industry.
Just For Laughs has expanded significantly, launching festivals across Canada, the US, Australia, as well as satellite events in Singapore and Bermuda.
JFL42 in Toronto, which takes place in the Fall, is an interactive, carefully curated celebration of comedy and culture. Showcasing 42 of the most hilarious, interesting, and innovative acts from around the world, this uniquely malleable, user-driven festival boasts an eclectic collection of headliners including Trevor Noah, Aziz Ansari, Ali Wong and Amy Schumer. Just For Laughs' third Canadian festival, JFL NorthWest in Vancouver, features headliners like Bill Burr, Mike Birbiglia and Sarah Silverman. In 2018, JFL NorthWest launched the Just For Laughs Vancouver Film Festival, whose programming includes exciting short and feature film screenings, premieres, in conversations, riveting industry speakers, panels and more. Just For Laughs Sydney is an annual week-long festival held at the Sydney Opera House.
Bruce is also responsible for over 1,000 Just For Laughs television specials broadcast by various networks around the world including; The Comedy Network, HBO and CBC in Canada where Just For Laughs is the longest-running stand-up comedy series in television history; CW, Fox, HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime, BBC America and MTV in the US; Network 7, Network 10, ABC and Comedy Channel in Australia and New Zealand and as well Channel 4 and the BBC in the UK. Just For Laughs partnered with Kevin Hart to produce 52 episodes of LOL @ JFL for Kevin's Laugh Out Loud Network at the 2016 festival in Montreal, with another 39 episodes filmed in 2017.
Bruce has been recognized with numerous award nominations including the Canadian Screen Awards and The Gemini Awards. He produced the IFC series Bullet in the Face starring Eddie Izzard, as well as The Tournament for CBC, which also aired on Versus in the U.S where it was praised by the New York Times as a "jewel to behold" and spawned the critically acclaimed UK adaptation The Cup, which debuted to fantastic reviews on the BBC.
Bruce has helped establish Just For Laughs Live as the number one comedy promoter in Canada, which produces the annual Just For Laughs Comedy Tour and promotes solo tours by Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan and Sebastian Maniscalco. Along with partner Adrian Bohm Presents, Just For Laughs promotes tours for artists such as Sarah Silverman, Noel Fielding and Demetri Martin in Australia and New Zealand. He also produced the off-Broadway hit Evil Dead: The Musical, which successfully played to huge crowds in New York City, Toronto, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Seoul and Detroit, and Family Guy Live, featuring Seth MacFarlane and the entire cast of the show, which performed in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. Not to mention the John Cleese and Eric Idle show, Together Again At Last, For The Very First Time, which toured Canada and US in 2016.
Named one of Variety's "50 Individuals Who Impacted Comedy" in 2006, alongside Hollywood A-listers Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen, Bruce was declared "The King of Comedy" by The Globe and Mail. He has served as a judge on prestigious Perrier Awards panel, the So You Think You're Funny competition at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the original Star Search hosted by Ed McMahon. He has also been asked to participate in various panels related to comedy and television at SXSW, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Montreux Comedy Festival, Busan International Comedy Festival and Banff World Media Festival. An active member of the Montreal community, Bruce has lectured at McGill and Concordia universities, as well as various high schools as part of the Back-to School program which encourages young people to stay in school. He also agreed to chair the 2017 Montreal Community Cares Awards which celebrates and promotes community engagement and actively supports the development of Montreal youth. Bruce has donated his time and energy to help raise money for the Cedars Cancer Institute, including cycling 100km alongside Lance Armstrong for the Tour de Lance fundraiser in 2010 and 2011.
Bruce currently resides in his native Montreal with his wife, Liz, and their 18-year-old twins, Alexandra and Michael.
Starting with his first role as a driver, Bruce has done almost every job imaginable in the organization, including time as Director of Programming and Vice-President of International Television, which saw him work with some of the biggest names in comedy, including Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Rogen, Chris Rock, and Jon Stewart. To mark the 35th anniversary of the Montreal festival, Just For Laughs was recognized by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television with the Canadian Screen Awards' Icon Award, which was presented by Dave Chappelle on the nationally televised awards broadcast. Bruce was hailed by the UK edition of GQ magazine as "the most powerful man in international comedy" and was humbled to be acknowledged by Dave Chappelle as the "Comedy Curator of a Generation" at the Montreal Festival.
The Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal is going into its 36th year and is widely known as the "Cannes of Comedy". Drawing over 2 million festival-goers every summer it's the largest and most prestigious comedy event in the world. The 3-week festival features over 200 indoor shows in clubs and theatres, hundreds of free outdoor shows and a conference that draws the biggest players and brands in the industry.
Just For Laughs has expanded significantly, launching festivals across Canada, the US, Australia, as well as satellite events in Singapore and Bermuda.
JFL42 in Toronto, which takes place in the Fall, is an interactive, carefully curated celebration of comedy and culture. Showcasing 42 of the most hilarious, interesting, and innovative acts from around the world, this uniquely malleable, user-driven festival boasts an eclectic collection of headliners including Trevor Noah, Aziz Ansari, Ali Wong and Amy Schumer. Just For Laughs' third Canadian festival, JFL NorthWest in Vancouver, features headliners like Bill Burr, Mike Birbiglia and Sarah Silverman. In 2018, JFL NorthWest launched the Just For Laughs Vancouver Film Festival, whose programming includes exciting short and feature film screenings, premieres, in conversations, riveting industry speakers, panels and more. Just For Laughs Sydney is an annual week-long festival held at the Sydney Opera House.
Bruce is also responsible for over 1,000 Just For Laughs television specials broadcast by various networks around the world including; The Comedy Network, HBO and CBC in Canada where Just For Laughs is the longest-running stand-up comedy series in television history; CW, Fox, HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime, BBC America and MTV in the US; Network 7, Network 10, ABC and Comedy Channel in Australia and New Zealand and as well Channel 4 and the BBC in the UK. Just For Laughs partnered with Kevin Hart to produce 52 episodes of LOL @ JFL for Kevin's Laugh Out Loud Network at the 2016 festival in Montreal, with another 39 episodes filmed in 2017.
Bruce has been recognized with numerous award nominations including the Canadian Screen Awards and The Gemini Awards. He produced the IFC series Bullet in the Face starring Eddie Izzard, as well as The Tournament for CBC, which also aired on Versus in the U.S where it was praised by the New York Times as a "jewel to behold" and spawned the critically acclaimed UK adaptation The Cup, which debuted to fantastic reviews on the BBC.
Bruce has helped establish Just For Laughs Live as the number one comedy promoter in Canada, which produces the annual Just For Laughs Comedy Tour and promotes solo tours by Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan and Sebastian Maniscalco. Along with partner Adrian Bohm Presents, Just For Laughs promotes tours for artists such as Sarah Silverman, Noel Fielding and Demetri Martin in Australia and New Zealand. He also produced the off-Broadway hit Evil Dead: The Musical, which successfully played to huge crowds in New York City, Toronto, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Seoul and Detroit, and Family Guy Live, featuring Seth MacFarlane and the entire cast of the show, which performed in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. Not to mention the John Cleese and Eric Idle show, Together Again At Last, For The Very First Time, which toured Canada and US in 2016.
Named one of Variety's "50 Individuals Who Impacted Comedy" in 2006, alongside Hollywood A-listers Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen, Bruce was declared "The King of Comedy" by The Globe and Mail. He has served as a judge on prestigious Perrier Awards panel, the So You Think You're Funny competition at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the original Star Search hosted by Ed McMahon. He has also been asked to participate in various panels related to comedy and television at SXSW, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Montreux Comedy Festival, Busan International Comedy Festival and Banff World Media Festival. An active member of the Montreal community, Bruce has lectured at McGill and Concordia universities, as well as various high schools as part of the Back-to School program which encourages young people to stay in school. He also agreed to chair the 2017 Montreal Community Cares Awards which celebrates and promotes community engagement and actively supports the development of Montreal youth. Bruce has donated his time and energy to help raise money for the Cedars Cancer Institute, including cycling 100km alongside Lance Armstrong for the Tour de Lance fundraiser in 2010 and 2011.
Bruce currently resides in his native Montreal with his wife, Liz, and their 18-year-old twins, Alexandra and Michael.
