Derek Wayne Johnson

Derek Wayne Johnson (born February 23, 1983) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.[1]

Derek Wayne Johnson
Born (1983-02-23) February 23, 1983
Carthage, Texas, U.S.
Alma materStephen F. Austin State University (BA)
OccupationDirector, screenwriter, producer
Notable work
  • John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017)
  • 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic (aka Becoming Rocky: The Birth of a Classic) (2020)
  • STALLONE: Frank, That Is (2021)

Early life and education

Born and raised in Carthage, Texas, Johnson began making short films at an early age, winning several awards while still in high school. Johnson directed his first feature film, Within Us, in his senior year of film school at Stephen F. Austin State University.[2] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Film in 2006.[3]

Career

After college, Johnson tried his hand at acting, starring in independent feature films and appearing in small roles in theatrically released and made-for-TV movies. Deciding to forgo acting and focus solely on filmmaking, he directed three independent feature films in Texas and Louisiana, including Broken Blood and Scrape, before relocating to Hollywood.[4]

In 2017, Johnson directed and produced a documentary about Academy Award-winning director John G. Avildsen whose credits include Rocky and The Karate Kid.[5] John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs examines Avildsen's life, career and films and features interviews with Sylvester Stallone, Ralph Macchio, Martin Scorsese, Talia Shire and Burt Reynolds, among others.[6] The documentary is an unofficial companion to the book The Films of John G. Avildsen: Rocky, The Karate Kid, and Other Underdogs written by Larry Powell and Tom Garrett.[7]

Sylvester Stallone hand-picked Johnson to direct and produce a documentary on the making of the original Rocky, titled 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic (aka Becoming Rocky: The Birth of a Classic). Originally intended to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Rocky in 2016, hence the title, production was put off for a couple of years due to certain delays. The documentary was released June 9, 2020 in the U.S. and Canada by Virgil Films and internationally by Branded Studios. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired the documentary to eventually air on their cable and streaming channel Epix.[8] The documentary features Sylvester Stallone narrating behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film.[9]

Johnson directed and produced STALLONE: Frank, That Is, a feature-length documentary about musician and actor Frank Stallone, brother of Sylvester Stallone, due for international release in early 2021 by Branded Studios. The multi-award winning documentary will feature interviews with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Dee Williams, Duff McKagan, Joe Mantegna, and many others.[10]

Johnson and his producing partner Chris May recently formed two production companies in Hollywood, CA; Cinema 83 Entertainment, which focuses on feature films, and Cinema 83 Documentary Films which focuses on documentaries.

Johnson cites his original VHS copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark as the reason he became a filmmaker, calling it "the holy grail" of his movie collection and the movie he studied the most growing up.[11]

Awards
  • Commendation by the City of Los Angeles for John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017) and its association with The Karate Kid (1984) legacy.
  • Best Feature Documentary - 2020 Beverly Hills Film Festival - STALLONE: Frank, That Is (2021).[12]
  • Best Short Documentary - 2020 Beverly Hills Film Festival - 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic (2020).
  • Best Documentary Feature - 2020 Garden State Film Festival - STALLONE: Frank, That Is (2021).
  • Best Documentary Feature - 2020 Hell's Kitchen NYC Festival - STALLONE: Frank, That Is (2021).
  • Best Documentary Feature - 2019 Burbank International Film Festival - STALLONE: Frank, That Is (2021).
  • Award of Excellence Special Mention (Documentary Feature) - 2019 Accolade Global Film Competition - STALLONE: Frank, That Is (2021).
  • Award of Excellence (Documentary Short) - 2019 Accolade Global Film Competition - 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic (2020).
  • Best Documentary - 2017 Beverly Hills Film Festival - John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017).
  • Award of Excellence (Documentary Feature) - 2017 Impact DOCS Awards - John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017).
  • Award of Excellence (Documentary Feature) - 2017 Accolade Global Film Competition - John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017).
  • Best Actor in a Feature Film - 2014 Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City - Broken Blood (2013).
  • Best Actor in a Feature Film - 2013 Northeast Film Festival - Broken Blood (2013).[13]
  • Best Editor - 2014 Hoboken International Film Festival - Scrape (2013).
  • New York Post/HIFF Best Feature Film Trailer - 2013 Hoboken International Film Festival - Broken Blood (2013).
  • Best Louisiana Filmmaker Feature Film - 2013 Phenom Film Festival - Broken Blood (2013).

References
  1. Barlish, Becky. "Carthage native's documentary honors legend", The Panola Watchman, Carthage, TX, 1 August 2017. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.
  2. "Derek Wayne Johnson". Bill King. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  3. Ordmandy, Ryan. "SFA film alum returns for Nacogdoches Film Festival". Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  4. Goodrich, Robbie. "Underdog Comes Out on Top", Sawdust, Nacogdoches, TX, Winter 2017. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.
  5. Kreps, Daniel. "John G. Avildsen, ‘Rocky,’ ‘The Karate Kid’ Director, Dead at 81", Rolling Stone, San Francisco, CA, 17 June 2017. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.
  6. Farber, Stephen. "'John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs': Film Review|Santa Barbara 2017", The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles, CA, 2 February 2017. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.
  7. Dagan, Carmel. "John G. Avildsen, Director of ‘Rocky,’ ‘Karate Kid’ Films, Dies at 81", Variety, Los Angeles, CA, 16 June 2017. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.
  8. Lang, Brent."MGM Buying ’40 Years of Rocky’ to Air on Epix (EXCLUSIVE)", Variety, Los Angeles, CA, 13 November 2019. Retrieved on 18 November 2019.
  9. Drown, Michelle. "John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs Director Derek Wayne Johnson", The Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara, CA, 26 January 2017. Retrieved on 16 February 2017.
  10. Gonzalez, Bobby. "Spoken Dreams: Derek Wayne Johnson, Filmmaker", KTLA, Los Angeles, CA, 19 February 2018. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.
  11. Gonzalez, Bobby. "Spoken Dreams: Derek Wayne Johnson, Filmmaker", KTLA, Los Angeles, CA, 19 February 2018. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.
  12. Burgett, Heather "20th Annual Beverly Hills Film Festival Honors 2020 Official Selections by Announcing Winners", Cision PRWeb, Beverly Hills, CA, 3 July 2020. Retrieved on 4 September 2020.
  13. McLane, Rodger G. "Johnson’s films win three independent awards in 2013", The Panola Watchman, Carthage, TX, 24 September 2013. Retrieved on 20 November 2013.
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