ColdSun Productions - The Shadow of Laughter

The Shadow of Laughter - The Story of Jay Francis

The documentary "The Shadow of Laughter" is a rough ride through the bizarre life of successful, but sometimes controversial comedian Jay Francis. As the son of a Surinamese father and Dutch mother, Jay grew up in a criminal environment and struggled with various problems.

He transformed from Youtube hype to stand-up comedian in five years. But all this is only exterior. Behind the quick jokes, wise advice and perfect smile is a vulnerable boy. This documentary reveals the dark side of the always cheerful guy from Limburg with a super body. However much his star is rising, this honest portrait shows that the person behind it is still haunted by demons from the past. He sleeps badly, has nightmares, struggles with a soft-drug addiction and is still troubled by a childhood full of domestic violence.

Award: Winnaar van de Kristallen Film Award 2024, uitgereikt door het Nederlands Film Festival.

Date: 2024

Regie

Alessio Cuomo

D.O.P.

Sander de Nooij

Editing

Marvin Saïd Schoemaker

Produced by

ColdSun Productions in samenwerking met JF BRAND & D2D Projects

Client

Amazon Prime, Pathé Netherlands & Kinepolis België

Regisseur Alessio Cuomo en comedien Jay Francis tijdens een uitverkochte première in Pathé Rotterdam.

KRISTALLEN FILM AWARD

Documentary filmmaker Alessio Cuomo and comedian Jay Francis have won the Kristallen Film Award for their documentary De Schaduw van de Lach (The Shadow of Laughter), which premiered in early November 2024.

The documentary was directed by Alessio Cuomo (Rudi - Haunted by 9/11) and produced by ColdSun Productions and D2D Projects. De Schaduw van de Lach was released in cinemas by Pathé Nederland and Kinepolis in Belgium.

The documentary is now also available on Amazon Prime and Pathe Thuis.

The Crystal Film Award is an initiative of the Netherlands Film Festival, with support from the Netherlands Film Fund and the Abraham Tuschinski Fund.