Season 2 of Killjoy Comedy subverts the status quo with laughs, starting July 25

Created by Vancouver’s Shana Myara, docuseries available for streaming on OUTtv.com highlights racialized and queer comedians

Killjoy Comedy Season 2 is available for streaming on OUTtv.com starting July 25

WHEN COMEDIAN MARK THOMSON and his husband moved to Vancouver from Toronto, they logged onto Grindr—but not because they were hoping to date other people. It was so they could meet friends to play Settlers of Catan with.

If that gives you a laugh, then we recommend checking out Killjoy Comedy, a docuseries that follows comedians as they reinterpret the meaning of the word “killjoy” as a badge of honour for folks who challenge the status quo. Season 2 of the series will be available for streaming on OUTtv.com from July 25 onward.

Thomson, who is featured in Episode 1, is a philosophy professor by day and artist by night. His career spans acting and writing as well as comedy; in the series, he shares stories about the time he spent as a “queer surf evangelist” while he was closeted. Beyond Killjoy Comedy, he has appeared in Chicago Fire on NBC and is a regular improviser at iO Theater in Chicago.

The other new-gen comedians—who all identify as racialized, queer, or queer allies—that star in the docuseries are Jackie Hoffart, Marito Lopez, Niki Mohrdar, Joanne Tsung, and duo Baby Syrup (Karla Monterrosa and Cassie Barradas). In each episode, a different artist spotlights how they use their platform for change within the comedy world.

Killjoy Comedy was created, produced, and directed by Vancouver’s Shana Myara, a queer artist, filmmaker, and writer of North African descent. The series was inspired by her work with the late Canadian comedian Candy Palmater, who was known for her own series The Candy Show and her role on Trailer Park Boys. Myara’s first documentary, Well Rounded, was named one of 20 queer films to watch in 2020 by Vogue.

Season 1 of Killjoy Comedy was released in 2023. It’s available for streaming across platforms while you wait for Season 2 to drop.

Featured

Emily Lyth

Emily Lyth is a Vancouver-based writer and editor who graduated from Langara College’s Journalism program. Her decade of dance training and passion for all things food-related are the foundation of her love for telling arts, culture, and community stories.

Articles

The Last Angel of History launches this year’s expansive VIFF Live programming, October 2

More highlights include a collaboration with Montreal’s MUTEK festival and an intimate masterclass with Emmy and BAFTA–winning composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer

Other Light explores the power of light as a political and spiritual force, to November 28

The installation at the Western Front includes hourly screenings of Uzbekistani artist Saodat Ismailov’s films Melted into the Sun and To the Throat of the Sun

In “Sisters”, Vancouver’s Maria Munro honours the life of her long-lost sibling

The filmmaker’s directorial debut, screening at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, traces her personal journey to unite with a sister she never knew existed

At Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Mayra Hermosillo discovers empathy on both sides of camera

Mexican actor and first-time feature director reflects on the powers of film to find the universal in the local and reveal new sides of an artist’s personality

Vancouver Latin American Film Festival kicks off with A Loose End on September 10

Writer-director Daniel Hendler’s feature blends elements of noir and comedy to tell the tale of a mild-mannered cop on the run from corrupt colleagues

Film reviews: Powerful documentaries and dimsum pleasures at Vancouver Queer Film Festival

Saving Etting Street looks at an inspiring building project in Baltimore; “Egg Yolk Custard Bun (奶黃包)” features full-bodied food performances; and What Will I Become takes a moving look behind the statistics of trans suicide

Film reviews: Social satire abounds at Visions Ouest and Alliance Française summer screen series

François.e helps a cynical screenwriter see the world through trans eyes; The Electric Kiss revels in 1920s-era comedy; and The Party’s Over creates a biting critique under the southern French sun

Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut to open Vancouver International Film Festival, while Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine to close it

Amid today’s full programming announcement of more than 160 features, DEVO icon Mark Mothersbaugh is added to VIFF Live lineup

Vancouver Latin American Film Festival presents bold, boundary-pushing cinema, September 10 to 20

Lineup opens with cop-on-the-run comedy A Loose End and closes with Vainilla, renowned Mexican actor Mayra Hermosillo’s directorial debut

Vancouver Queer Film Festival unveils 2026 program, slated for September event

Compelling shorts, strong documentaries, and features such as Apolo and Gugu’s World bring forward local and international voices

Summer series of new French-language films kicks off at Alliance Française Vancouver, August 19 and 20

Visions Ouest Productions and the Alliance present true-life sports comedy Le Rêve américain and compelling walking documentary Á pied, with English subtitles

The Dude and many iconic others abide at VIFF Centre’s 90s, Baby!, to August 31

Retro summer series continues with the cult hit The Big Lebowski, a rare big-screen look at the risk-taking Run Lola Run, and more

Laura Crema pays tribute to Jazz on a Summer’s Day star, August 9 at VIFF Live

Local singer puts her own improvisational spice on classic songs in ode to Anita O’Day’s iconic performance in the acclaimed, 1959 Newport Jazz Festival documentary

Maiku Hama trilogy still buzzes with ’90s-era wit, corruption, and cool at The Cinematheque

Hayashi Kaizo’s hard-boiled trio moves from cheerful spoof to disturbing violence in a distinctly Japanese play on old Mickey Spillane stories

At The Cinematheque’s Film Noir 2026, Niagara’s Marilyn Monroe conjures a full-colour femme fatale

Set on the edge of Horseshoe Falls, the stunningly shot crime thriller with the dangerous femme fatale deserves a new look on the big screen

Vancouver Latin American Film Festival unveils program of more than 70 films for event September 10 to 20

Highlights include Argentinian-Uruguayan opener A Loose End, and guest filmmakers Oscar Ruiz Navia and Mayra Hermosillo

VIFF Live announces 2026 program of film screenings, immersive concerts, and “reworlding”

The series includes appearances by Canadian and international artists, including throat-singing duo Silla, composer Kelly Moran, and experimental rock act Xiu Xiu

Unlock serious savings at this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival with VIFF+ memberships

Save up to 30 percent on festival packs and passes—and get exclusive access to festival tickets 24 hours before they go on sale to the general public

Local theatre artists’ project King Arthur’s Night culminates in a buoyant new film that blurs documentary and fantasy

Now streaming on Knowledge.ca, John Bolton–helmed movie stars Niall McNeil, Marcus Youssef, Veda Hille, Nathan Kay, and more, in a mix of artists with and without Down syndrome

Canada Day Animation Jamboree celebrates National Film Board classics, at the Rio Theatre July 1

Oscar-winning Vancouver animator David Fine curates some of his favourite shorts, plus his own Animal Behaviour and Bob’s Birthday

Screenings at The Cinematheque and VIFF Centre bring past and future into focus on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21

Ranging from 1970s-era experiments in animation to an urgently current documentary, the offerings delve into the meaning of community and the power of place names