Hollywood Program Faculty Member Earns First Directing Credit
An idea from an instructor in the Penn State Hollywood Program was developed into a short film thanks to success in a screenwriting competition, and it has already earned accolades as it prepares to hit the film festival circuit.
The film, “Coffee Shop Names,” focuses on three people who use a name other than their own when placing their order at the local coffee shop.
For writer/director Deepak Sethi, a writer for Cartoon Network and stand-up comedian who teaches comedy in the Hollywood Program, the film was somewhat autobiographical.
“The idea is something I’ve always had in mind because I use ‘Derek’ as my coffee shop name and one time I was in Vegas and I remember getting mad about them getting it wrong. And it wasn’t even my name,” he said. “It’s funny that I had attached a persona to that name.
Lead roles in “Coffee Shop Names” were played by (from left): Danny Pudi, Karan Soni and Kausar Mohammed. (Photo by Jonas Fisher)
“Plus, with the immigrant experience and different names, it seemed like an interesting topic overall. When the film was done, a lot of people were coming up to me telling me they used a name other than their own in the coffee shop.”
After winning the Script House competition to secure funding, “Coffee Shop Names” was filmed over three days in August. It was honored at the London Film Festival and along with upcoming trips to the festival circuit, Sethi hopes to develop the film into a TV series.
Sethi moved from Toronto to Los Angeles nine years ago. He’s been teaching in the Penn State Hollywood Program since its inception in 2016. Along with his experience as a writer and comedian, he hopes to build credits and hone his skills as a director — and “Coffee Shop Names” provides a strong first step toward that goal.
“It was a great shoot. And we had really great people jump on and do it, supporting independent filmmaking,” he said. “That was exciting.”
Actors who participated included Kausar Mohammed (“What Men Want,” “Speechless”), Danny Pudi (“Community”) and Karan Soni (“Deadpool”).
Robert Richards, the John and Ann Curley Professor of First Amendment Studies and creator of the Penn State Hollywood Program, served as an executive producer on the project.