USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 7

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.

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

Calendar of Events

CLICK ON EVENT TITLES TO RSVP FOR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS.

Friday, March 28th, 2025

7:00 PM: Panel Discussion: CAN COMEDY BE AUTOMATED?
Venue: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
Guests: Comedian/writer/actor Jamie Loftus, Ben Relles, Former Head of Comedy at YouTube, Dickinson creator/showrunner Alena Smith, and The Simpsons writer/executive producer Matt Selman. Moderator: Jesse David Fox, Vulture.

A spirited debate examining the role AI plays, and might play, in comedy and entertainment, from both a creative and an industry standpoint - current industry trends, labor disputes, writers’ rooms, copyright issues, and more.

9:00 PM: Sneak Preview Screening: A24's FRIENDSHIP
Venue: Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall
Guest: Writer/director Andrew DeYoung. Moderator: USC professor JD Connor.

Suburban dad Craig falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor, but Craig’s attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives.

Saturday, March 29th, 2025

10:00 AM: PUNCHLINES & POWER MOVES: WOMEN SHOWRUNNERS IN COMEDY
Venue: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
Guests: Jacque Edmonds (Showrunner/EP - Moesha, EP - The Wonder Years), Alyson Fouse (Creator/Showrunner/EP - Act Your Age), Katie O'Brien (Creator/Showrunner/EP - The Z-Suite), and Ilana Peña (Creator/Showrunner/EP - Diary of a Future President). Moderator: SCA Alumna Sarah Ivy.

Presented by Women of Cinematic Arts for the USC Comedy Festival 2025, this dynamic panel brings together powerhouse showrunners to share their journeys through the world of comedy television. From breaking in to breaking barriers, these industry leaders will discuss their career experiences, offer guidance on climbing the ranks, and provide insight into navigating the ever-evolving landscape of film and television. Whether you're an aspiring writer, director, or producer, this conversation will deliver invaluable advice, candid stories, and inspiration from some of the most influential voices in comedy today.

12:00 PM: Panel Discussion: WRITING COMEDY FOR LATE NIGHT
Venue: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
Guests: Danny Ricker (Kimmel co-head writer/co-executive producer) and Josh Halloway, (Kimmel monologue writer/supervising producer). Moderator: USC professor Wayne Federman.

A special event with the late-night staff from Jimmy Kimmel Live! - including his monologue writer, co-head writer, and co-executive producer, hosted by former head monologue writer for Jimmy Fallon, Wayne Federman.

2:00 PM: Spotlight on Onyx Collective/Hulu's DELI BOYS
Venue: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
Guests: Creator Abdullah Saeed, showrunner/EP Michelle Nader, and EP Jenni Konner. Moderator: USC professor David Isaacs.

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.

4:00 PM: Documentary Screening: Drafthouse Films' THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Venue: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
Guest: Director/producer Alex Braverman. Moderator: USC professor Wayne Federman.

Andy Kaufman's provocative comedy often outraged audiences, challenging them to confront their own presumptions. Through never-before-seen footage and intimate recollections, filmmaker Alex Braverman explores Kaufman’s brief but impactful life and career. As the lines between performance and reality blur in our present age, Kaufman’s genius resonates more than ever. Winner: Best Documentary on Cinema 2023 Venice Film Festival.

7:00 PM: Documentary Screening: Netflix's WILL & HARPER
Venue: Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall
Guests: Director/producer/USC alumnus Josh Greenbaum and editor/USC alumna Monique Zavistovski.
Moderator: USC Comedy Festival executive director Alex Ago.

When Will Ferrell's good friend Harper comes out as a trans woman, they take a road trip to bond and reintroduce Harper to the country as her true self.

Sunday, March 30th, 2025

2:00 PM: Panel Discussion: PODCASTING AND BEYOND: THE NEW COMEDY HUSTLE
Venue: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
Guests: Trae Crowder, Comedian, wellRED podcast Host, Al Madrigal, Co-Founder, All Things Comedy Podcast Network, and Billy Rosenberg, Co-CEO of All Things Comedy Podcast Network/USC alumnus. Moderator: USC professor JD Connor.

Podcasts, video podcasts, TikTok, Insta, drop-ins, showcases, tours, specials—there are seemingly more comedy outlets than ever, and the comedy hustle can be more hectic than ever. We’ll discuss the current comedy landscape and how to manage a comedy career in the midst of unprecedented change.

4:00 PM: Sneak Preview Screening: A NICE INDIAN BOY
Co-Hosted by the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA)
Venue: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
Guests: Director Roshan Sethi, actor/USC alumnus Karan Soni, playwright/USC alumna Madhuri Shekar, and composer/USC alumna Raashi Kulkarni. Moderator: USC School of Dramatic Arts Dean Emily Roxworthy.

When Naveen brings his fiancé Jay home to meet his traditional Indian family, they must contend with accepting his white-orphan-artist boyfriend and helping them plan the Indian wedding of their dreams.

7:00 PM: The Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Master of Comedy Lecture Series featuring 2025 Oakie Award Recipient Jason Reitman
Venue: Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall
Guest: Writer/director/producer/USC alumnus Jason Reitman. Moderator: USC professor Leonard Maltin.

Our annual Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Master of Comedy Award will be presented this year to Academy Award-nominated Writer/Director/Producer, and USC Alumnus, Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, Saturday Night), who will join SCA Professor Leonard Maltin for a discussion about his career in comedy.

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

About USC Visions and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative

Visions and Voices is a university-wide arts and humanities initiative that is unparalleled in higher education. The initiative was established by former USC President C. L. Max Nikias during his tenure as provost in order to fulfill the goals set forth in USC's strategic plan; to communicate USC's core values to students; and to affirm the human spirit. Emphasizing the university's commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, the initiative features a spectacular array of events conceived and organized by faculty and schools throughout the university. The series includes theatrical productions, music and dance performances, conferences, lectures, film screenings and many other special events both on and off campus. Each program invites students to dialogue and interact with artists, writers, professors and special guests. These interactions provide a dynamic experience of the arts and humanities and encourage active exploration of USC's core values, including freedom of inquiry and expression, team spirit, appreciation of diversity, commitment to serving one's community, entrepreneurial spirit, informed risk-taking, ethical conduct and the search for truth.

Visit the Official Visions and Voices Website: https://visionsandvoices.usc.edu/
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