Always on
This project successfully funded on 7th March 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Palestine Comedy Club
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Aim
Be first to watch 'Palestine Comedy Club' on the big screen, and help us complete post-production.
‘Palestine Comedy Club’ follows six Palestinian stand-up comedians who write and tour a stand-up comedy show exploring the unlikely, often dark humour that surrounds the complexity of Palestinian identity. What starts as a blending of comic traditions to encourage honest and open reflections through the shared enjoyment of laughter becomes an existential imperative to share common humanity.
In Palestine, there are no comedy clubs, or even tradition of stand-up comedy. The country is also carved up by walls, fences and checkpoints that create divisions in culture and quality of life between towns. As such, developing a comedy show that can speak to these very different audiences is a herculean task and the comedians face many challenges in connecting with their fellow Palestinians across these divides.
Despite the cultural and security challenges of going on tour, the six Palestinian comedians Alaa, Hanna, Diana, Khalil, Ebaa, Raed and their British director, Sam manage to cross checkpoints and borders to perform in theatres across Palestine. Audiences flock to the shows and the tour gains momentum through increasing public demand. Word spreads internationally and they are invited to London for a series of gigs starting, tragically, on October 7th, 2023, just as war breaks out at home. The comedians prepare to perform in English to an increasingly conflicted British public. Suddenly, the mission to connect audiences with thoughtful humanity becomes an existential imperative.
Directed by Alaa Aliabdallah
Co-directed and Produced by Charlotte Knowles
By buying a ticket to a private screening in either London or Ramallah, you will help us complete the final stages of post-production: music, graphics and colour grade.
Palestine Comedy Club was profiled at Cannes Docs and Toronto International Film Festival work-in-progress strands in 2024. The film has been invited to multiple festivals in 2025.
Now we just need to raise £50,000 to pay the Palestinian artists working on the final post-production, and get it out to the world.
By supporting us, you'll have a chance to watch the film at a private screening and be one of the first to see Palestine Comedy Club on the big screen.
Show off your support with our range of rewards including:
- tickets to a private screening of Palestine Comedy Club,
- gorgeous illustrated t-shirts, tote bags, hoodies designed by Palestinian artist, Shahd Issa and the opportunity to get credited on the film.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made