Apatow
TORONTO -- "Knocked Up" helmer Judd Apatow will be honored as comedy person of the year at the inaugural Just Comedy confab, part of Montreal's Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.
"We are very proud to honor someone who started his career in standup and has become one of the most important and dynamic forces in comedy," Just for Laughs chief operating officer Bruce Hills said Tuesday.
The conference, also announced Tuesday, will gather key players from the comedy industry, provide one-on-one meeting opportunities and include panel discussions, master classes and "In Conversation With ..." sessions featuring comedy heavyweights. The conference runs July 17-18, while the festival runs July 10-20.
Multihyphenate Apatow's company Apatow Prods. releases the Jason Segal comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" on April 18, with Seth Rogen starrer "Pineapple Express" slated for August.
Just for Laughs, founded 25 years ago, is the world's largest comedy event, attracting more than 2 million fans and more than 1,000 talent-scouting industry execs.
The fest launched a successful Toronto edition last year, with Chicago to follow in 2009. The "Just for Laughs" TV show airs in over 25 countries.
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