give it up
a film starring gareth reynoldsDIRECTED BY KYLE ANDERSON
A washed-up comedian, replaced on his own podcast by a 9-year-old viral star, sets out on a last-chance tour to film his comeback special — but as the spotlight fades, he risks losing more than just his career.
synopsis
Gareth Reynolds (Arrested Development), Jake Johnson (Into the Spider-Verse), Cat Reitman (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Anna Lore (Doom Patrol, Final Destination: Bloodlines), and Maggie Maye (Conan, Comedy Central) star in this darkly comedic mockumentary about delusion, desperation, and the cost of chasing relevance.GIVE IT UP follows Mortimer, a bitter stand-up comic clinging to the last threads of his career. After being replaced on his own podcast by a precocious child influencer, he embarks on a ragged comedy tour across dive bars and motel rooms, determined to prove he’s still got “it” by filming his own comeback special. But with each gig, the cracks widen — in his act, his sanity, and his carefully curated persona.Both painfully honest and darkly funny, GIVE IT UP explores the line between ambition and self-destruction, and asks: when the laugh track stops, what’s left?
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
“I’ve spent years on the road as a stand-up comic, opening for big names at the best clubs in the country — and seeing firsthand the toll this career takes on people. GIVE IT UP is my attempt to be honest about that. It’s a film about what happens when the spotlight moves on, and you’re left trying to figure out who you are without the applause. It’s funny, it’s painful, and — I hope — it’s real.”
— Kyle Anderson
about
• Genre: Dark Comedy / Mockumentary
• Runtime: 89 minutes
• Language: English
• Completion: 2025
• Director: Kyle Anderson
• Status: Seeking festival and distribution partnersGIVE IT UP is the debut feature film from Kyle Anderson, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and nationally touring comedian. The film was developed with a fiercely independent spirit, drawing from real-life experience on the road and deep within the stand-up comedy world.
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Screeners and press kit available upon request.
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