Kayvon Derak-Shanian
- Director
Kayvon is a four-time Oscar-qualified filmmaker.
His directorial debut, Empty Hand, is a feature documentary that follows four karate competitors as they train to face their toughest rivals in pursuit of the National Karate Kid Championship. The film premiered at DOC NYC.
His second film, The Real Miyagi - winner of seven international film awards, stars Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren, and Michael Jai White. It tells the story of Fumio Demura, the legendary karate master who inspired generations. The film was acquired by Netflix for worldwide distribution from 2015 to 2022.
In 2018, Make America Laugh Again opened theatrically in New York and Los Angeles to favorable reviews, winning the Audience Award at Cinequest. The film also qualified for the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.
In 2021, Kayvon returned to the world of The Karate Kid with More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story, a documentary about the beloved actor behind the iconic character. Featuring Ralph Macchio, Tommy Chong, and Henry Winkler, the film is available globally on all major VOD platforms and holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In 2022, Kayvon produced Pepe Serna: Life Is Art, a documentary about Mexican-American character actor Pepe Serna, who has appeared in over 250 films and helped pave the way for generations of Chicanx performers in Hollywood. Featuring Edward James Olmos, Eva Longoria, and Cheech Marin, the film premiered at both the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival.
His directorial debut, Empty Hand, is a feature documentary that follows four karate competitors as they train to face their toughest rivals in pursuit of the National Karate Kid Championship. The film premiered at DOC NYC.
His second film, The Real Miyagi - winner of seven international film awards, stars Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren, and Michael Jai White. It tells the story of Fumio Demura, the legendary karate master who inspired generations. The film was acquired by Netflix for worldwide distribution from 2015 to 2022.
In 2018, Make America Laugh Again opened theatrically in New York and Los Angeles to favorable reviews, winning the Audience Award at Cinequest. The film also qualified for the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.
In 2021, Kayvon returned to the world of The Karate Kid with More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story, a documentary about the beloved actor behind the iconic character. Featuring Ralph Macchio, Tommy Chong, and Henry Winkler, the film is available globally on all major VOD platforms and holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In 2022, Kayvon produced Pepe Serna: Life Is Art, a documentary about Mexican-American character actor Pepe Serna, who has appeared in over 250 films and helped pave the way for generations of Chicanx performers in Hollywood. Featuring Edward James Olmos, Eva Longoria, and Cheech Marin, the film premiered at both the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival.
