Derrick received his Masters of Fine Arts from UCLA’s acclaimed Film & TV Screenwriting graduate program. While in the program, he was honored with the prestigious Showcase Award, gaining the attention of Hollywood agents and producers. Recently, Derrick expanded his creative territory, adding film producing and directing to his credits. In 2012, Derrick was a producer on Lisanne Sartor’s award-winning short film, Six Letter Word, starring Rumer Willis for AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women. Six Letter Word was an official selection of the Telluride Film Festival (August 2013) as well as an official selection of the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmakers showcase at the Cannes Film Festival (May 2013). Derrick wrote and produced, Marriage of Inconvenience, selected by the Project Involve shorts program and presented during the Los Angeles Film Festival (June 2013). Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature diversity program that fosters the talents of emerging filmmakers. In 2014, Derrick wrote, directed and produced, Waste Paper, a fantasy/adventure short film developed in partnership with the Oscar-award winning visual effects team at Digital Sandbox as well as Scarecrow VFX, a company formed by key VFX professionals previously at Digital Domain and Rhythm & Hues. Derrick produced and/or directed several live concert events at some of the largest venues throughout Southern California, including, but not limited to the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, The Forum, John Anson Ford Amphitheater and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Derrick has also assisted several non-profit or private institutions, including—The Brotherhood Crusade, The Coalition for At-Risk Youth, University of Southern California Black Alumni Association—with the planning and execution of their annual gala/concert events. Derrick obtained his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Florida at Gainesville. He worked for Exxon Chemicals for four years in their research and development division. Derrick holds two patents related to the purification of highly reactive olefins in mixed hydrocarbons. Filters