The Canadian distributor is showcasing its Gags and LOL franchises at Mipcom, alongside the award-winning About Antoine and new scripted productions. It is also preparing a Christmas movie based on About Antoine for France Télévisions, which will be available internationally as a four-part miniseries.
*with reporting by Carolina Mussio and Ana Paula Carreira from Cannes, France.
Non-verbal comedy franchises Just For Laughs Gags and LOL JFL Sketch Show headline Just For Laughs Distribution’s Mipcom 2026 slate, alongside new scripted productions and comedy programming recorded at the company’s festival.
“Our main titles are Gags and LOL, two great non-verbal comedy series that work very well internationally. Historically, our content has sold in 150 countries, and it also performs very well on FAST channels,” said Nicolas Holst-Roy, Sales Manager, International Distribution & Domestic Sales at JFL Distribution, speaking with ttv.
“The comedy market can be a little difficult sometimes, but the strength of our catalogue is our non-verbal content, which travels extremely well internationally. It doesn’t need dubbing or localization, and that’s an advantage not everyone has. It’s turnkey material that we can deliver to any broadcaster, and they can use it however they want,” he explained.
Just For Laughs Gags is the well-known hidden-camera franchise featuring unexpected situations and visual pranks that provoke spontaneous reactions, while LOL JFL Sketch Show features humorous sketches in which characters face absurd situations, also without the need for dialogue.
Beyond its comedy franchises, Just For Laughs Distribution is looking to diversify its catalogue with scripted productions, including About Antoine, a dramedy inspired by true events that explores family life with a child with multiple disabilities.
“We also have About Antoine, a beautiful story about overcoming hardships and living with a child with multiple disabilities. It’s a show we’re very proud of,” Holst-Roy said.
The series follows Julie as she navigates her relationship with Marc and his son Antoine, balancing her career with her place in a family facing particular challenges.
“We also have a Christmas movie called A Christmas About Antoine, which will premiere on France Télévisions in December 2026. It’s the third installment in the story, following two very successful seasons. The movie will also be available as a four-part series of 30-minute episodes,” he announced.
Holst-Roy explained that diversifying the catalogue allows the company to meet the different needs of international buyers. “We like scripted content. It’s important for us to have visibility with other creators and not focus exclusively on non-verbal programming. We want to offer a wider range of content because different clients have different needs, and it’s important to branch out,” he said.
For productions such as About Antoine, the company sees opportunities among public broadcasters, although it works with a broad range of buyers. “We particularly like public broadcasters for a show like About Antoine, because it’s about representation and inclusivity, bringing stories to the screen that aren’t always shown enough. But we also work with platforms and private broadcasters. We’re open to working with anyone who wants to bring new content to audiences and spread laughter around the world,” he explained.
Alongside its scripted releases, the distributor is presenting content recorded during the latest edition of the Just For Laughs Festival. “We filmed a lot of content at our festival this summer, which was a great success and one of our most successful editions ever. We’re very proud of the festival, and now we’re bringing that content to different markets, including France, where we’re working with Canal+,” he concluded.
