The Canadian stand-up comedy TV series “Comedy Invasion” by AAM.tv, which is the first all-diverse Canadian content stand-up comedy TV series created by a diverse creator, has been nominated for the Canadian Screen Awards 2024 for Best Comedy Special. The nominated episode is called “Comedy Invasion: Rez Style” and features Squamish Nation comic Keith Nahanee, who talks hilariously about his life on the Indigenous reservation. The episode is also a tribute to his mother who passed away in 2022 and features footage of her attending his last comedy show.
The series is produced by Quentin Lee and Cindy Au Yeung and can be watched on AAM.tv. Despite being rejected by every Canadian broadcaster during development and distribution, the series was financed by creator Quentin Lee, who is a queer API non-binary single-parent immigrant born in Hong Kong, and distributed through their own niche streaming platform. U.S. distributor Viva Pictures distributed the series globally through Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel, and Tubi.
“I am most thrilled and grateful to receive this Canadian Screen Awards nomination, which truly validates my vision as a television creator,” said Quentin Lee, Canadian Screen Awards 2024 nominee.
“We truly believed in the importance of creating this show and a platform to showcase diverse, BIPOC Canadian stand-up comedians, as it is often a space that is ignored. Everyone worked very hard to make this show happen and we are so excited to be able to celebrate this acknowledgement, and it exemplifies how important it is to keep carving your own path,” said Cindy Au Yeung, Canadian Screen Awards 2024 nominee.
Keith, Quentin, and Cindy collaborated on Comedy Invasion and decided to form Rez Comedy Ltd. to produce a new stand-up comedy television show called Rez Comedy. The show features an all-Indigenous and Canadian comic cast, taking inspiration from “Rez Style.” The production was greenlit by APTN and Canada Media Fund in June 2023 but was not approved for full production. Due to this setback, Keith, Quentin, and Cindy are turning the show into an independent feature film. They are currently seeking donations via crowdfunding on Indiegogo and plan to shoot the film in June. Here’s the link rezcomedy.ca.
“This Canadian Screen Awards nomination of our episode couldn’t come at a better time … and hope you will support our new venture Rez Comedy as you’re our only lifeline now,” said Keith Nahanee, writer and star of “Comedy Invasion: Rez Style” and producer and co-director of Rez Comedy, the first all-Indigenous and all-Canadian stand-up comedy feature film.
