ALLYSON SMITH - Allyson Smith has been tickling Canada's comedy scene from the moment this former teacher put down the chalk brush and picked up a mic. With appearances on CTV's Comedy Now, MuchMusic's Video on Trial, and CBC's The Debaters, Allyson is making her mark. Now making her home in England, she's thrilled to be back on Canadian soil.

ALONZO BODDEN - Introduced to America on NBC's Last Comic Standing, Alonzo Bodden was runner up on Season 2 and came back to win it all on Last Comic Standing Season 3, "The Best of the Best." Since then he's been a regular on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and a favorite guest on Adam Corolla's radio show and podcast.

BRIAN AYLWARD - Newfoundland native, Brian Aylward, stepped on stage based on a bet, in 2005. Since then, he has established himself as an international stand-up act. Brian pioneered the English stand-up comedy scene in South Korea, where he worked as a full-time EFL teacher in Seoul, between 2007-2010. During this time, he performed hundreds of shows across Asia, in places such as Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Since returning to Canada in December, 2010, Aylward's accolades have included FUNNY FACTOR - Halifax's Funniest (2011 Winner) and 2011 XM Radio's CANADA'S NEXT TOP COMIC (Finalist). Aylward has performed at several comedy festivals, including the Hong Kong International Comedy Festival, Newfoundland Screech Comedy Festival and Hubcap Comedy Festival. Brian has been featured on CBC television, CBC Radio's "Laugh Out Loud" and XM Radio's "Laugh Attack."

CHUCK BYRN - Working professionally as a comedian since 1994 and as a national touring headliner since 1996, Chuck Byrn has the experience and knowledge to ensure your show or event is a success. Having performed in almost every conceivable circumstance, chuck adjusts his performance to suit the situation. Be it a formal awards dinner, a casual staff party or a large boisterous group of clients in from out of town... Chuck will put on a show suitable to the situation.

DAVE HEMSTAD - Dave Hemstad made his television debut at the Halifax Comedy Festival and is happy to be returning. Since then, Dave has been nominated for three Canadian Comedy Awards and starred in the Showcase comedy series Almost Heroes. Dave is currently a regular on CBC's smash hit The Debaters for both television and radio. In addition to his many international appearances, Dave is proud to have performed in every province AND territory in Canada.

DAVE MERHEJE - Born in Windsor, Ontario, Dave Merheje found a love for comedy at a young age and started performing in Detroit. Dave's comedy style has been described as aggressive in-your-face funny. Dave won the 2011 Montreal Comedy Festival Just For Laughs Homegrown Comic Competition as well as the Now Magazine Best of Toronto Award for Best Standup Comedian.

DAVID PRYDE - David Pryde first tried stand-up in a noisy pub at Dalhousie University and found it agreed with him. Returning to hometown Montreal he hit big at the Just for Laughs Festival and never looked back. He's since enjoyed festival appearances across Canada and two Canadian Comedy Award nominations. Other notable appearances include the film, "Barney's Version" with Paul Giamatti, several episodes of The Debaters, and there's a 42% chance you've seen him in a popular ad campaign for Standard Life.

DEREK EDWARDS - The comedy of DEREK EDWARDS has made him one of the hottest properties in Canada. A regular at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, where he was recently hailed as a "virtuoso at the peak of performance", Derek's comedic gift is in making the ordinary extraordinary. Derek has been featured on numerous radio and television comedy shows, is a two time Gemini nominee, and has been voted Canadian Comedian of the Year.

EMAN ELHUSSEINI - Eman a Montreal based comedian has appeared in the NY Arab-American Comedy Festival (2008-2011), Amman Comedy Festival (2009) and the Just for Laughs Festival (2010). Eman has toured across the U.S. Canada and the Middle East icluding the Palestinian Territories doing shows in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Nazareth. She is a regular at comedy clubs in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Also known for her producing skills, Kosher Jokes for the Halaladays (2010-2011) and She's Canadian Eh! (2010). Eman's Comedy Now! special will be airing this summer on CTV and the Comedy Network.

GERRY DEE - Gerry Dee is the star and co-creator of the new CBC sitcom, "Mr. D" which is filmed in Halifax. This former school teacher, turned comedian, also has a new book coming out in the Fall of 2012 called "Teaching: It's Harder Than It Looks". You also know him from The Score as "Gerry Dee-Sports Reporter" and Donny from "Trailer Park Boys-The Movie". He finished third on Season 5 of NBC's Last Comic Standing, still the highest result by a Canadian in the show's history.

GILSON LUBIN - A chance to see Gilson live is a must. Encouraged by friends and family, the St.Lucian export took to the stand-up comedy scene strongly representing his Caribbean roots and Canadian upbringing. Gilson has racked up an impressive resume while appearing at the prestigious Just For Laughs festival and the Canadian Comedy Awards where he received an award for best newcomer. Other appearances include 2012's LA Complex for Much Music and WC network in the U.S, HBO's Def Comedy Jam and was host on MTV in Canada. His garnered raves from many and is a comedian to look out for.

GREG PROOPS - Greg Proops is a stand up comic from San Francisco. He lives in Hollywood. And still likes it. The Proopdog is best knowing for his appearances on Whose Line is it Anyway.

JOHN BEUHLER - John has opened for the likes of Dennis Miller, Brent Butt, Joan Rivers, Martin Short, Zach Galifianakis and Craig Ferguson to name a few. John's style has been described as, wickedly funny, fearless and poignant. John's arsenal of sickly smart comedy is enough to leave any crowd begging for more. He is quickly becoming one of North America's favorite comedians.

JORDAN CHYZOWSKI - Jordan Chyzowski started comedy at the age of 19. His smart writing and likeable persona on stage have helped him get ahead quick. Within a year he won Edmonton's funniest Person with a day job, and then proceeded that by winning the battle of Alberta. He has opened for the likes of Dave Atell, Steve-O, and Tom Green.

JULIE KIM - Julie Kim, new in Canadian Comedy, was featured in the Fresh Meat 2011 showase and placed 3rd of 175 competitors in the 2010 Toronto Comedy Brawl. Her entertainment career has origins in a Grade 4 talent show, where she delivered a thorough yet accessible overview of propositional calculus. Also, she had no friends. Julie's comedy spans work, school and play. She uses humour, leveraging educational and career experience, to motivate and increase wellness in universities/colleges
and organizations.

LARS CALLIEOU - I'm not normally one to pander but I will admit that performing on the East Coast has been a dream of mine and that the Halifax Comedy Festival has been on my 'list of things I hope to do before my career dies'. You're not really sure who I am but I have a comedy special on the Comedy Network and I've been on two USO Tours of IRAQ, I was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award and I performed at the inaugural Edmonton Comedy Festival (which was pretty sweet). I've even toured with Joan Rivers, twice. I wrote this bio in the first person, because I wanted to thank you for having me in the Maritimes and for coming to the Halifax Comedy Festival. I'm much funnier on stage, come see.

MAE MARTIN - Mae began writing and performing comedy at tender age of 13. She has since been nominated for two Canadian Comedy Awards, and was the youngest ever nominee for the prestigious Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award. Her television credits include MuchMusic's "Video On Trial", Global Television's "Global Comedians" and The Comedy Network's "Cream of Comedy". She is currently based in the UK where has recently received rave reviews for her 2011 Edinburgh show "Mae Day".

MARK CRITCH - Mark Critch is back again this year as the host of Halifax Comedy Fest. He's best known as star of CBC TV's This Hour has 22 Minutes.
For his work on 22, Mark has been presented with a Gemini, Canadian Comedy Award and a Writer's Guild Award. Mark has also appeared at The Winnipeg Comedy Fest and has written for the Just for Laughs series.

NATHAN MACINTOSH - Nathan has taped his own "Comedy Now!" special for the Comedy Network/CTV, performed at the Just For Laughs Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, won a "Canadian Comedy Award", the prestigious Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award, and has appeared on CBC radio's/TVs "The Debaters". He was also named one of the "Top Five Canadian Comedians being Observed" by the Comedy Network and one of five of the New Generation of Canadian Funny Men by Sharp Magazine.

PETER KELAMIS - Peter has twice been nominated as Canadian Stand-Up Comic of the Year by the Canadian Comedy Awards. He has appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival Twice and has had two National TV Comedy Specials. For the past two years he has been seen on "SGU:STARGATE UNIVERSE" for MGM. Peter plays "Adam Brody". Peter can currently be seen in the film "50/50" opposite Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Past credits include working opposite Angelina Jolie in the film, "Life Or Something Like It" among others.

REBECCA KOHLER - Life is hard, sometimes tragic, and Rebecca Kohler is no stranger to these realities. Using life's hardships and truths, she creates well crafted joke type things. Writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, appearances on L.A. Complex, Comedy Now, The Debaters, Newfoundland Comedy Festival, LA Comedy Festival, Yuk Yuks across Canada, Hotbox, Jon Dore Show and Much Music's Video On Trial.

RICK CURRIE - Rick Currie has packed a lot into his 20+ year comedy career. He started playing clubs across Canada and since then, he has played in London, New York and Los Angeles, recorded an episode of CTV's "Comedy Now!", been featured at national comedy festivals and appeared on many CBC Radio programs including "DNTO" and "The Debaters". This current member of the Rick Mercer Report writing team has written jokes for every major Canadian television network (both of them!).

RYAN BELLEVILLE - It's impossible not to like Ryan, who was the youngest comic to ever tape his own Comedy Now! He has made countless film and television appearances in North America including Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and CBS The Late Late Show. Ryan is a winner of a Canadian Comedy Award, and the Phil Hartman Award.

SAMANTHA BEE - Samantha Bee, born and raised in Toronto has been on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart since 2003 and holds the title of Most Senior Correspondent, having systematically eliminated all of those before her.

SEAN LECOMBER - Sean Lecomber was the winner of the Just for Laughs Homegrown competition in 2007, awarded each year to Canada's best new comedian. Sean also recently filmed his first comedy special for the Comedy Network. Sean's comedy was featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno's "pass the mic" segment, he was a finalist in the 2007 Last Comic Standing Canadian auditions. He is also the Edmonton winner of the 2007 Yuk Yuk's Great Canadian Laugh Off. Look for his work soon on the Comedy Network as he is currently working on a short to be aired next year. You can also hear Sean's work on CBC Radio's "The best of So you think you're funny?"

STEVE PATTERSON - Widely recognized to hundreds of thousands of Canadians as the host of CBC's comedy hit "The Debaters", Steve Patterson's golden gift for comedy is un-debatable. Comedy icon Steve Martin, who dead-panned after seeing Patterson's Gemini-nominated performance: "If I'd have known he was going to be that good, I would have cancelled him."

TIM NUTT - Tim Nutt is a comic who can't be judged by his cover. Long-haired, bearded and "rough around the edges", audiences expect Nutt's material to match. But he surprises with razored-down punch lines and well conjured-up premises that place him as one of the top comics working today. Tim's way of cutting through the nonsense of everyday life has made him a favorite across the country.

TIM RABNETT - How likeable is Tim Rabnett? Well for starters he's overcome the stigma of being an Ontario-born Anglophone to become one of Montreal's most beloved comedians. Whether you're young or old, clean or crass, and even if you generally don’t like Ontario, everyone finds reason to be delighted by the talented Tim Rabnett.