HAMPTONS COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL Presents: ANXIETY CLUB (Hamptons Premiere)

Janelle Draper started doing stand-up when she was an NBC Page working on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

She has performed at the iconic Wilbur Theater in Boston 3 times, entertained the US Troops across the world, had her TV debut on IFC, is a regular commentator on SiriusXM, and is a Co-Producer on the feature film, “Anxiety Club” featuring Mark Normand, Joe List and Marc Maron, to name a few.

Janelle has also been spotlighted on a plethora of prestigious comedy festivals stages including the San Francisco Sketchfest, Laughing Skull, HBO's Women in Comedy, and was runner-up in The Boston Comedy Festival — and winner of the LA based—Burbank Comedy Festival.

Additionally, she's the first and only comedian to sign an overall licensing deal with Bumble, where she wrote, performed, and filmed multiple image spots for their social media platforms, which garnered 4 billion views.

Wendy Lobel is a director and Emmy Award-winning producer whose work explores the complexities of the human experience. With three decades of experience, her projects have been featured on networks such as PBS, A&E, VH1, MSNBC, Nickelodeon and more. Wendy produced over 25 episodes of the acclaimed children’s series Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, including Worried Sick: Living with Anxiety. Other notable projects include Inside TV Land: Primetime Politics, MSNBC Investigates: The Mating Game (doc specials), the PBS documentary shorts Women in Science & Technology and Mothers and Sons, and the short film The Power of Positivity. ANXIETY CLUB (2024 DOC NYC Film Festival) marks Wendy’s debut as a feature director. Drawing on her personal experiences with anxiety, she brought a heartfelt authenticity and profound understanding of its themes to this film. Wendy is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy. She also serves as Vice President of Angelight Films, a nonprofit that empowers children with brain tumors to create their own short films.

Brian Russell grew up in Connecticut, and then worked in business, business, business for what felt like forever. In 2009 he accidentally started shooting and editing video. Along the way, he became a multi-award winning director and cinematographer. Russell has worked with the likes of Edwards Burns, Zoe Kravitz, Arianna Huffington, and has even profiled the entire cast of Saturday Night Live. He was the cinematographer of the Tribeca Film Festival selection The Counterfeiter, which was later broadcast on ESPN. In recent years, his writing and directing has garnered dozens of film festival awards. In addition to his narrative filmmaking, Russell is also a sought-after writer and director for Fortune 500 companies and non-profit fundraising.

A frustrated actress looses her temper with an indie film director.

Directed by Brian Russell

In a near future where it literally costs money to leave the house, a burnt-out woman risks fraud when she pays her live-in boyfriend's 'exit toll' to get some alone time.

Written by Jorja Hudson and Ethan David.

Directed by Rachel Olson, a writer and director whose latest short, The Nickname (starring Mary Holland), premiered at Aspen Shortsfest in 2025. As a former Comedy Central exec, she developed shows like Nathan For You, Detroiters and Nora From Queens. She recently joined UCB LA as Executive Director and is currently in development on her first feature.

Director Statement:

When Ethan and Jorja first pitched me Homebodies, my imagination ran with all the ways we could build out this dysfunctional, slightly dystopian near-future. What impressed me most upon reading the script, though, was their restraint. I wanted to take this inventive concept and keep it grounded in relatable, character-based comedy.

My goal was to make the film feel like it could happen tomorrow. There’s no catastrophic inciting incident or technological breakthrough that doesn’t already exist. It’s futuristic only in that it hasn’t happened yet. The tech feels janky, showing there is progress, but for the worse. Something I’ve always loved about Mike Judge’s Idiocracy.

I leaned into a slightly claustrophobic vibe. We wanted the apartment to feel lived-in and a little cramped, never like a staycation. Casting is always the most important piece for me. Alyssa carries the majority of the film as Jackie, and she holds the audience’s attention with an incredible range of emotion and comedy. You completely buy her frustration. Casting Andre Hyland ensured Greg would be funny and lovable. It’s refreshing to me that this couple isn’t at odds. They’re supportive of each other, just victims of circumstance. Sam Richardson can make anything funny, so having him play our customer service rep was a dream come true. Martha Kelly, as the pre-recorded personification of the government, adds a delightful, hilarious layer.

There’s something so funny to me about a person lashing out in frustration. I hope audiences laugh along and relate.

The Hamptons Comedy Film Festival presents a highly curated showcase for the best in comedy -- shorts, features, tv pilots, web series, filmed sketch comedy and animation -- for our entertainment industry and Hamptons audience. We allow for rolling submissions and present our selected films at our beautiful comedy club theatre at Sticks and Stones Comedy Club in Southampton, NY. The Hamptons Comedy Festival was established in 2000 and sponsored by HBO. Many comedians performed at the Hamptons Comedy Festival, including Ed Helms, Judy Gold and Joy Behar. The NY Friars Club presented a comedy arts award, in honor of Soupy Sales. The HCF presented the Hamptons Comedy Film Festival, showing shorts and features - including Sarah Silverman's earliest film Who's the Caboose? directed by Sam Seder. After many consecutive years of the HBO Hamptons Comedy Festival, the festival organizers moved to LA and began producing live comedy with performers like Marc Maron and Maria Bamford at venues like UCB. Now, the Hamptons Comedy Film Festival presents industry panels, special comedy events and screens selected comedy shorts and features at Sticks and Stones Comedy Club theatre in Southampton, NY.