Our documentary follows a circle of close friends who come from the hardscrabble NYC/LA alt comedy scene. Their individually genre-defying approaches to “stand up” are daring, left-of-center, gonzo and heartbreaking. These comedians dig deep into their autobiography to make hilarious magic out of the otherwise tragic parts of their lives.

Our story takes you on the rollercoaster ride of The Edinburgh Fringe Festival - from standing ovations to judgmental critics, from sold out shows to audiences of one. These comedians must overcome the financial burdens of self producing, physical exhaustion and existential doubt while they balance the demands of their onstage personas and offstage reality.   

Through laughter, tears, and a lot of impromptu singing, Fringe chronicles the faith, friendship and resilience that guides these comedians through the most demanding experience of their lives. In the end, they inevitably discover that the perfect audience might just be each other.

The film focuses on Larry Owens, Greta Titelman and Ruby McCollister and their tight knit circle of comedians, including Meg Stalter, Catherine Cohen, Martin Urbano, Alok Vaid-Menon, Mo Fry Pasic, Demi Adejuyigbe, Leah Hennessey, Chloe Petts, and many more familiar faces of the alt comedy circuit.

Our film’s cast expands beyond just comedians - we feature the larger Fringe ecosystem and introduce many unseen figures at play - producers pulling strings behind the scenes, critics shaping narratives with a single review, volunteers and technicians who make the shows
run, and the larger international network of comics succeeding at this festival.

MG: Patrick and I became best friends in a chaotic summer abroad studying experimental theater in Amsterdam at nineteen years old. The rest is history. Is that true?

MG: We’re comedy nerds. We're theater geeks. I also love your work. You make me laugh more than anyone else! And I wanted to make - literally anything - with you.
 

MG: I remember going to Showgasm at Ars Nova - shoutout to a legendary incubator space. It's where I first got to watch people like John Early, Bridget Everett, Cole Escola, Kate Berlant...the list goes on and on. These artists really defined a culture shift and inspired us / so many artists in our generation. How did we get to this doc? 

MG: How did we get to Scotland? You're afraid of flying after all...

PF: I got some Klonopin and you held my hand. Thank you.
MG: Well we had to do it. Because that first summer in 2023, so many friends of yours were premiering shows there. It felt like kismet. It started with Larry, Greta, and Ruby but lead to so much more. 

PF: They’re truly the most interesting people I know. And once we started shooting, it was an abundance of material.

MG: We only had a small grant for a short film - bless the Davey Foundation! But Fringe felt like it was a perfect storm of opportunity, inspiration, and access...so we took the leap. Were you nervous?

MG: And we wanted to really capture the toll it takes on these artists performing personal and sometimes traumatic material. How would you describe the shows we covered? 

MG: This is exactly the doc we wanted to watch. Because honey, being an artist...in this economy? Hell!! But I also couldn't imagine doing anything else. Hbu?

MG:  Phew, we're almost there. 

Since its inception in 1947, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has been an internationally recognized incubator for new talent. It’s beloved for its commitment to providing a home for the visions of a wide spectrum of artists, from seasoned professionals to inspired amateurs to literal high school students.

For the month of August, audiences flock to see dramatic classic theater, musicals, solo performances, clowning, spoken word, and dance all produced for extremely low budgets in venues across the city. But the festival’s biggest breakout stars are comedians. 

The festival has launched the careers of countless artists you know and love - from Robin Williams and Mike Meyers to Sacha Baron Cohen to Phoebe Waller Bridge. Fringe continues to be a golden opportunity for young hopefuls looking to hone their material and break through to international audiences.

For these larger than life characters, we wanted a simple and striking visual approach: employing black & white cinema verite cinematography. To juxtapose against that formal aesthetic, we use playful handy cam footage shot in color. The combined effect is a romantic, nostalgic visual language that supports the intimate, quiet, observational nature of our storytelling.
 

Tonally, we interweave absurd comedy and tender vulnerability.  We wanted to ground the story in the creative process and focus on the fractured “in between” moments of making theater. We want to bring audiences backstage, into rehearsals, alongside rigorous pre-show routines, and post-show night life.

The chronology of the month-long festival provides the film's structure, while allowing the edit to shift in and out of our comedians’ wandering, hilarious stream of conscious conversations. We want to demonstrate how comedians can expertly metabolize ideas from casual conversations into stage material. We want the film’s rhythm to reflect the adrenaline rush and energy crash performers face nightly. 

Ultimately, this documentary is our homage to the importance of live performance and the value of friendship in the pursuit of big dreams. 
 

Documentaries are made in the edit.  For the last two years, we have filmed hundreds of hours of footage with our amazing subjects, all across Edinburgh and in New York’s favorite comedy clubs. We believe we have more than 90% of what we need to complete the film, but need support for our post-production process! We are actively applying for grants and finishing funds through some incredible institutions like Sundance, SFFilm, and Film Independent, but right now - we need your help! 

That’s where this crowdfund campaign comes in. Through this fundraising, our aim is to raise $10,000 (plus fees and expenses) to meet concurrent needs:

We believe in supporting our team in a fair and equitable way and every dollar raised through this crowdfund will go directly to one of the artists working to bring this film together. We have been able to make this film with the support of a grant through the Davey Foundation and our own personal investments.