The Heckler, an Australian comedy from first-time feature director Ben Plazzer and writer Steve Mitchell, has won the best ensemble award at the LA Comedy Festival.
The privately-funded film stars Simon Mallory as Steve, a fame-hungry, self-absorbed stand-up comedian who is on the brink of cracking the big league when he accidentally kills Mike (CJ Fortuna), a heckler and jealous wannabe comic.
Mike’s spirit jumps into Steve’s body and sets out to ruin his reputation by performing disastrous, unfunny stand-up routines. Steve must try to repossess his body before Mike destroys his relationships, his finances and his one shot at fame, the Ultimate Funniest Comedian contest.
Mallory and Fortuna were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the cast, which includes Kate Jenkinson, Emily Taheny, Tony Martin, Jeff Green, Dave Lawson and Scott Harrison.
Hollywood comedy guru Steve Kaplan, author of The Hidden Tools of Comedy, hailed The Heckler as a “delightfully charming comedy… wonderfully witty."
Co-producer Katrina Fleming tells IF the strategy is to launch the Melbourne-shot film at comedy festivals rather than mainstream fests to build buzz and awareness, which hopefully will lead to theatrical, TV, DVD and VoD deals. Odin’s Eye Entertainment has acquired international sales rights.
The Heckler, which premieres at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival next April, was produced by The Comedy Cartel, a creative partnership between Mitchell and Plazzer, who attended the LA festival with DOP Paul Hughes.
Novelist Graeme Simsion (The Rosie Project) served as script editor and as an executive producer with Stephen Luby (Crackerjack, Full Frontal).
A 2007 Victorian College of the Arts graduate in film and television, Plazzer directed numerous short films. At the VCA he met Mitchell, who got the idea for the film after having an out-of-body experience, a phenomenon his director does not believe in.