Private Project

Fierce Funny & Fly

In 2017 a group of talented women joined forces to create a safe space for their diverse comedic voices. The outgrowth of that mission became the Black Girl Giggles Comedy Festival.

Fierce Funny & Fly examines the friendship and the challenges behind the festival, the first exclusively for Black Women comics.

  • Jean-Paul Noel
    Director
    Hands to the Sky
  • Wendy Arimah
    Producer
    Hands to the Sky
  • Marsha Warfield
    Key Cast
    "self"
    Night Court
  • Kim Coles
    Key Cast
    "self"
    Living Single
  • Geneva Joy
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Camille Roane
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Shep Kelly
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • De De T.
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Ashleigh Branch
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    DLSR
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jean-Paul Noel

JP Noel has an eye for film, an ear for music and a penchant for a good time. His directorial debut, Hands to The Sky, turned the lens on House Music outdoor events, a genre close to his heart. As a native New Yorker with a life long fascination for New Orleans, this project found him by chance.

Among the many hats he wears, the brightest is the one of a dedicated father. His tight-knit Panamanian family keeps him grounded and ambitious.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

On my first visit to New Orleans in 2017, by chance I met Geneva Joy and Camille Roane, transplanted comics and founders of the newly formed comedy festival, Black Girl Giggles.

As they took me around the city's comic scene, the vibrance and creative energy that permeated instantly reminded me of NY circa 1991, during Hip Hop's golden era. As it became clear to me that this was perhaps the first comedy festival exclusively for black women, I knew that I had to document the moment.

Three months later, camera in tow, I returned and began chronicling their progressions. Two and a half years later, the completed project unfolded into an unforeseen but valuable result.