USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7 Presents: DELI BOYS
March 29, 2025, 2:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
USC Comedy at the School of Cinematic Arts, USC Visions & Voices,
Onyx Collective, and Hulu, invite you to attend
Spotlight on Onyx Collective/Hulu's
DELI BOYS
Created by Abdullah Saeed
Executive Produced by Abdullah Saeed, Michelle Nader (Showrunner), Jenni Konner,
Nisha Ganatra, Vali Chandrasekaran, and Nora Silver
Pilot Episode Screening (30 min.)
Followed by a Q&A with Abdullah Saeed, Michelle Nader, and Jenni Konner
Moderated by SCA Professor David Isaacs, Co-Chair of USC Comedy
2:00 P.M. on Saturday, March 29th, 2025
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex
900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVP REQUIRED.
RSVPs ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE.
FOOD AND DRINKS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED IN THE AUDITORIUM.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
Stream all episodes of Deli Boys on March 6, only on Hulu
Presented during the USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7,
taking place from March 28th - 30th, 2025
Visit the USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7 Homepage: http://cinema.usc.edu/ComedyFestival
Follow the USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7 on Instagram: @USCComedy
Follow the USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7 on Twitter: @USCComedy
About Deli Boys
When their convenience store-magnate father suddenly dies, a pair of pampered Pakistani American brothers (Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh) lose everything and are forced to reckon with their Baba’s secret life of crime as they attempt to take up his mantle in the underworld.
Provided courtesy of Hulu and Onyx Collective. Running time: 30 minutes.
About the Guests
ABDULLAH SAEED (Creator, Executive Producer, Writer)
Abdullah Saeed is a Pakistani-American writer and producer. He created the upcoming comedy series Deli Boys starring Saagar Shaikh, Asif Ali and Poorna Jagannathan. Onyx/Hulu will launch the show on March 6, 2025. Abdullah serves as an EP on this project, wrote/co-wrote half of the inaugural season, and composed the show’s theme song.
He first appeared in scripted television as a recurring character on HBO’s High Maintenance, on which he also worked as a writer. Saeed’s first unscripted TV series was Vice Does America, after which he created, produced, and hosted the James Beard Award-nominated series Bong Appetit.
Based in Los Angeles, he is currently developing projects with Seth Macfarlane’s Fuzzy Door and Drew Goddard’s Goddard Textiles.
MICHELLE NADER (Showrunner, Executive Producer)
Michelle Nader is a seasoned creative force who has paved the way for hit comedies for more than 25 years.
Nader is the showrunner and executive producer of the upcoming crime comedy, Deli Boys, premiering March 6th on Hulu. This will be on the heels of the Tim Allen and Kat Dennings led comedy, Shifting Gears, for which she also serves as showrunner and executive producer. This was Nader’s first project under her overall deal with 20th Television, which proved successful after it was ABC’s strongest series debut in over six years and their strongest premiere on streaming to date.
Further to this, Nader is in the process of developing an NFL-themed romantic comedy feature for New Line Cinema alongside Jordan Weiss.
She is best known for writing, showrunning, and executive producing the acclaimed comedy 2 Broke Girls, which aired for six seasons on CBS. Over the course of its run, it was nominated for 12 Emmy Awards in various categories. Nader also served as showrunner and executive producer on the Hulu comedy Dollface produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment, and further created the American adaption of the popular Australian sitcom Kath & Kim starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.
Nader first began her career as a writer on Caroline and the City, before moving on to work on other revolutionary sitcoms such as Dharma & Greg, The King of Queens, and Spin City - the latter two of which she also served as co-executive producer.
The Philadelphia native currently resides in Los Angeles.
JENNI KONNER (Executive Producer)
Jenni Konner is a writer, director, and producer. She currently serves as showrunner and executive producer on Netflix’s Golden Globe nominated and Critics Choice Award winning NOBODY WANTS THIS and executive producer and director on Onyx Collective and Hulu’s DELI BOYS.
She is also known for serving as a writer, director and co-showrunner on GIRLS, which ran for six acclaimed seasons on HBO. Throughout its run, GIRLS was nominated for two Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and won the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Television Comedy Series, as well as the 2013 BAFTA for Best International Show.
Konner began her career as a writer on Judd Apatow's celebrated television series UNDECLARED. Additional credits include WELCOME TO CHIPPENDALES, SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE, GENERATION, CAMPING and the HBO documentaries SUITED and IT’S ME, HILARY.
Konner has a multi-year overall deal with 20th Television and currently resides in Los Angeles, where she runs her production company, Jenni Konner Productions, with her producing partner Nora Silver.
About SCA Professor David Isaacs, Co-Chair of USC Comedy
David Isaacs, SCA Professor of Screen and Television Writing has worked as a TV and Screen Writer and Producer for over 40 years. He has been credited as a writer, co-producer or creative consultant on M*A*S*H*, Cheers, Wings, Frasier, Becker and Mad Men. He co-created and executive produced the series Almost Perfect for CBS. His writing credits also include episodes of The Simpsons, The Tracey Ullman Show, The Jeffersons and The Tony Randall Show. Over the course of his career he has been involved as a writer or producer in over eight hundred episodes of TV comedy.
Screenwriting credits include Volunteers, starring Tom Hanks and John Candy, and uncredited re-writes on Mannequin, starring Andrew Mc Carthy and Kim Cattrall and Jewel of the Nile, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
Isaacs has been nominated eight times for the Writers Guild of America Award and won three times for Cheers and Mad Men. He's has six Emmy nominations with one win for co-producing the first season of Cheers. He's also has been nominated for the Humanitas Award and received a Peabody Award as a member of the staff of Frasier.
He is currently Chair of the John Wells Division of Writing for Screen and Television and Co-Chair of USC Comedy.
About the USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7
The 7th Edition of the USC Comedy Festival returns to campus this March 28 - 30 to celebrate community and share laughter, while exploring the changing nature of comedy in contemporary society. We open with a spirited debate about the role AI might play in comedy development, followed by a sneak of A24's Friendship. Saturday will include a panel on Late Night Comedy Writing, plus a sneak of Onyx Collective/Hulu's new comedy series Deli Boys, a new documentary from Drafthouse Films, Thank You Very Much, about the legendary Andy Kaufman, and a discussion with the creators of Will & Harper. Sunday will focus on Comedy Podcasting, plus a sneak of the romantic comedy A Nice Indian Boy with cast & crew. The festival wraps Sunday night with our annual Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Master of Comedy Award, this year presented to Academy Award-nominated Writer/Director/Producer, and USC Alumnus, Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, Saturday Night).
The USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7 is Produced by Alessandro Ago, Executive Director, Film Programming and Special Projects, at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The USC Comedy Festival programming committee includes JD Connor, Corrine Ellingson, Wayne Federman, David Isaacs, Rob Schiller, and Izzy Ster.
This program is open to all eligible individuals. The USC School of Cinematic Arts operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
About USC Comedy at the School of Cinematic Arts
In 2010 USC became the first university in the nation to offer a program dedicated to training filmmakers in the art of comedy. USC Comedy at the School of Cinematic Arts offers instruction in the writing, directing, production as well as the history and theory of comedy. Students work with a distinguished, award-winning faculty of comedy professionals to discover and develop their comedic voices, while getting unrivaled access to the field through workshops, internships, demonstrations and screenings and festivals.
USC Comedy boasts an award-winning faculty that includes Jack Epps Jr. (The Secret of My Success, Legal Eagles, Top Gun), Barnet Kellman (Murphy Brown, Mad About You, George Lopez), David Isaacs (Cheers, Frasier, M*A*S*H*), Robert Townsend (Diary of A Single Mom, The Parent Hood), Rob Schiller (The King of Queens), Wayne Federman (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Tonight Show), Jay Kogen (The Simpsons, Frasier), Chris Guerrero (BuzzFeed, Super Deluxe), F J Pratt (Sullivan & Son), Tim Marx (Young Sheldon), Steve Zuckerman (Everybody Loves Raymond, Murphy Brown), Katy Garretson (Frasier, Girlfriends), and Maggie Bandur (Malcolm in the Middle), to name just a few.
Our students benefit from the expertise and participation of SCA Comedy Alumni such as Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents), Tim Story (Barber Shop, Ride Along), Judd Apatow (Girls, Superbad, Knocked Up), Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy), Peter Segal (Tommy Boy, Get Smart), Gabe Sachs (Freaks and Geeks), Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air), Nahnatchka Khan (Fresh Off The Boat), Prentice Penny (Insecure), Cathy Yuspa & Josh Goldsmith (What Women Want, King of Queens), Thembi Banks (Only Murders in the Building), Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, First Wives Club), Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), among many other luminaries and industry professionals.
For more information, visit: http://cinema.usc.edu/comedy
Check-In & Reservations
This screening is free of charge and open to the public. A reservation confirmation will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 1:30 P.M.
All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.
Accessibility Needs
Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Alessandro Ago, Executive Director, Film Programming and Special Projects, at aago@cinema.usc.edu or 213-740-2330. It is requested that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least seven days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.
Parking
On-campus parking at the University of Southern California is limited. We recommend buying a day pass for the Royal Street Structure, located at the intersection of Royal Street and W. Jefferson Blvd. Parking passes are $20/car. For more information about parking at USC, please visit USC Transportation Website:
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/daily-and-hourly-parking/
https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/about-us/entrance-hours/
About USC Visions & Voices
USC Visions and Voices is a university-wide arts and humanities initiative that was launched in 2006. Highlighting USC’s excellence in the arts and humanities, the initiative provides a transformative and provocative experience for all USC students, regardless of their major or year in school, and challenges them to expand their perspectives and become engaged citizens.
Emphasizing the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, the initiative features a spectacular array of events, many conceived and organized by faculty and schools throughout the university. Performances and presentations by acclaimed artists and distinguished speakers are offered free for USC students, and most are free to the general public. In addition to events held on the University Park and Health Sciences campuses, students are also offered a variety of opportunities to experience Los Angeles’s dynamic cultural landscape at events throughout the city. Each event invites audience members to dialogue and engage with artists, scholars, and other special guests. These interactions provide a vibrant experience of the arts and humanities and encourage active exploration of USC’s six unifying values: integrity; excellence; diversity, equity, and inclusion; well-being; open communication; and accountability.
In 2018, Visions and Voices launched Arts in Action, a public-facing series that plants seeds for positive social change by activating intensive arts projects between community partners, students, and faculty. These projects span a wide range of art forms and give students invaluable opportunities to apply their own creativity towards addressing complex issues in collaboration with faculty and community partners.
Exposure to and participation in the arts and humanities transforms lives. It makes every scientist a better scientist, every lawyer a better lawyer, every educator a better educator, every businessperson a better businessperson, and every artist a better artist.
Visit the Official Visions and Voices Website: https://visionsandvoices.usc.edu/
Follow Visions and Voices on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisionsAndVoices
Follow Visions and Voices on YouTube: @uscvisionsandvoices7970
Follow Visions and Voices on Instagram: @USCVandV
Follow Visions and Voices on Twitter: @USCVandV
Follow Visions and Voices on TikTok: @USCVandV
#visionsandvoices
Contact Information
Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu