Draft:Kayvon Derak Shanian
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Kayvon Derak Shanian, also known as Kevin Derek, is a director, producer and the founder of the Irvine International Film Festival. He is the director of the documentary “More than Miyagi : The Pat Morita Story”[1][2]
Early Life[edit]
Shanian was born in Shiraz, Iran and moved with his family to the United States when he was 9 years old. [2]
He interned at local TV station KDOC in Orange Country where he learned about the craft of Television Production and filmmaking, then went on to film school after moving to Los Angeles. Shanian earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Motion Pictures at Columbia College in Hollywood.[3]
Career[edit]
Shanian’s production career began in 1992 under the name Kevin Derek. The majority of his work has centered around martial arts.[3]
In 1995 he met producer and actor Oscar Alvarez with whom he became a frequent collaborator.[3]
In 2001 Shanian was one of the Producer / writers on the 2001 action film “The Ultimate Game” starring Paul Logan and TJ Storm. The film included a cast of 61 actors and 34 action scenes that took 2 years to complete.[4]
In 2011 he directed Empty Hand: The Real Karate Kids which is “a true story of four young karate competitors who prepare to fight against their toughest rivals in the biggest tournament of the year. “The documentary premiered at the DOC NYC Film Festival. [4]
Shanian went on to direct The Real Miyagi, in 2015, a documentary film about Fumio Demura, a Japanese karate master who has taught Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Bruce Lee[2]. He was also Pat Morita’s stunt double in The Karate Kid films. For his work on the film, Shanian won the Rising Star Award at the Canada International Film Festival. The Real Miyagi was acquired by Netflix in 2020 [4]
In 2018 he produced feature film Make America Laugh Again starring Ramy Youssef, Maz Jobrani and Russell Peters about being brown and an immigrant in America seen through the eyes of comedians of Middle Eastern origin. The documentary went on to win the audience award at Cinequest and was Oscar qualified in 2018.
In 2022 he produced “Pepe Serna: Life is Art” About a Mexican-American character actor Pepe Serna that has starred in over 250 films. Starring Edward James Olmos, Eva Longoria and Cheech Marin. The film premiered at the Palm Springs international Film Festival.
More Than Miyagi : The Pat Morita Story[edit]
Shanian garnered acclaim in 2021 for his documentary on Pat Morita, the actor best known for his role as Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid films. The film features interviews from friends and cast mates such as Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Esai Morales, Tommy Chong and Henry Winkler.[3][2]
The film went on to win best documentary feature at the Idyllwild International Film Festival and the Suncreen Film Festival.
Personal Life[edit]
Shanian holds a Black Belt in three different styles of martial arts Shotokan, Shito Ryu and Kickboxing.[4]
In 1983 at a karate tournament Shanian met Pat Morita, who would later become the subject of his 2021 documentary. “There he was sitting right next to my karate teacher, and you know, [at that time] I only knew Pat Morita from Happy Days”...Pat Morita was so nice, he started to chat with me like he knew me for a long time. We talked about Happy Days for a little bit and then my bother took his 35mm camera and snapped a picture of us .” [3]
References[edit]
- ^ Miller, Michael (2014-01-10). "Moviemaker looking to sweep the board". Daily Pilot. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ a b c d Stories, Local (2023-05-30). "Inspiring Conversations with Kayvon Derak Shanian of Love Project Films - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". voyagela.com. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ^ a b c d e ""You Have to Put Your Heart in the Project for Your Project to Have Heart." – In Conversation with Kevin Derek, a Documentary Filmmaker and Producer". VIEW OF THE ARTS. 2021-03-14. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ a b c d "Interview with Kevin Derek". Kung-fu Kingdom. 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2023-03-29.