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As I always say, If you can make someone laugh, he will listen to you.
The annual “1001 Laughs Palestine Comedy Festival” made its debut in August 2015, and has continued almost every summer since. The festivals give the audiences of Palestine five consecutive days of live standup comedy in Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, entertaining over 2,000 people. It is one of a kind. I, Amer Zahr, am the festival’s producer and founder. I’m a Palestinian-American comedian, writer, and law professor whose comedy travels have taken me throughout America, Canada, Europe, and the Arab world, including almost 100 shows in Palestine.
Laughter is a universal language, shared by all peoples. Perhaps the greatest challenge for Palestinians is that we are too often misunderstood or mistreated, frequently depicted as “non-human.” Comedy, like much art, can help in this regard. Comedy is about preserving narratives and championing freedom of expression in the arts. The festival will only be a success if it serves as a gateway to the world to discover more about our culture and people.
The festival have garnered worldwide media attention
CNN | CNN Arabic | BBC Arabic | Haaretz | Al-Hurra | Palestine Today | Wattan TV | MAAN Network | 972 Mag | Palestine News Network | Sky News
We hope that through this festival, our Palestinian laughter draws the ears of the world.
But we cannot do it alone.
We are looking for corporate and individual supporters and sponsors to help us raise the budget that we need to make the festival a success. Sponsors would be featured on all promotional material, thanked at every show, and have the option to display or advertise at every performance. This year’s festival will take place from August 13-17 2023, with performances in Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem .
What do we need the money for?
We charge a very nominal price for the Palestinian audiences to attend the shows, so it’s accessible to everyone. At the same time, we are flying 8-10 comedians from the US to Palestine. Hotels, performance fees, meals, and production costs add up to about $80,000.
Can you become an organizational or corporate sponsor? And have your logo everywhere? Please email me at amer@amerzahr.com to explore those options!
We look forward to your support in this historic endeavor, and we hope to share the success of the festival with you.