Kevin attended Columbia College in Hollywood, California, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Motion Pictures in 1990.
Kevin has extensive experience in the movie industry both as producer, director and editor. Kevin’s first credit as a producer was The Ultimate Game, an action adventure, produced for the video market that sold worldwide.
Derek also directed two documentary films about martial arts called Empty Hand that premiered at the Academy Awards accredited film festival DOC NYC, and The Real Miyagi, about the man behind the biggest action star legends in Hollywood such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris starring Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren, Micheal Jai White and many others which has won 6 international awards.
Derek is currently The Festival Director for the prestigious Irvine International Film Festival. Last year alone, 11 of the festival’s Official Selections were shortlisted for the Academy Awards, with nine OSCAR nominations between them. Seven-time Emmy winning actor Ed Asner (Up, The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and Academy Award winning director John G. Avildsen (Rocky), both of whom received Lifetime Achievement Awards at IIFF.
Interview with the L.A. Times
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Oscar began his career in the entertainment industry as an actor. It was his time as an actor when he realized his true calling was behind the camera.
In July of 2004, he had an amazing opportunity to work with OSCAR Nominated Director, David O. Russell (Joy, American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter) and came aboard his Iraq war documentary, SOLDIERS PAY as Production Manager.
Oscar continued on as Head of Production for the shooting of all the I HEART HUCKABEES supplemental materials, foreign and domestic, including the Jon Brion music video, KNOCK YOURSELF OUT with Mark Wahlberg/Jason Schwartzman, and the Dustin Hoffman/Lilly Tomlin infomercial, HOW AM I NOT MYSELF? All the while, Oscar managed and oversaw the day-to-day operations of David O. Russell’s production company, KANZEON.
In 2011, Oscar teamed up with documentarian, Kevin Derek to produce the award winning feature documentary film, EMPTY HAND currently written up in Black Belt Magazine as “A MUST SEE...the first real Karate movie in years".
In 2012, Oscar teamed up with Producer, Todd Jeffery to create a cerebral comedy short film by Writer/Director, Dustin Thomas Cartmill called THE WOLF starring Zach Cregger, Caitriona Balfe and Frank Rautenbach.
In 2013, he teamed up again with Kevin Derek to produce his second feature documentary film, THE REAL MIYAGI featuring Dolph Lundgren, Steven Seagal, Michael Jai White, Tamlyn Tomita, Fumio Demura and the late Pat Morita.
In 2014, Oscar teamed up again with Producer/Writer/Director, Todd Jeffery in his Feature Thriller, NO ESCAPE starring Gabe Fazio (The Place Beyond the Pines) and BoJesse Christopher (Point Break) which is currently in post production.
The two documentary films produced by Oscar about martial arts did great in the festival circuit. Empty Hand premiered at the Academy Awards accredited film festival DOC NYC and The Real Miyagi has won 6 International Awards.
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Evelyn Guerrero , The wife of Pat Morita. She started her theatrical career at a young age and came from a show business family, as a result met Pat as a young girl. Her aunt Sally Marr was grooming Pat as a stand up comic at the time, but little did Evelyn realize she would one day marry Pat years later.
Evelyn went on to pursue a successful career of her own. Some of her credits includes "Bound by Honor" opposite Benjamin Bratt, she starred in 3 Cheech and Chong films: "Nice Dreams", "Next Movie" and "Things are Tough All Over", Guest starred in the Jean-Claude Van Damme film "Inferno" other notable credits include Luis Valdez series "Fort Figueroa",TV series, "I Married Dora", "Star Trek the Next Generation"and Series regular on TV series "Dallas"
She also guest starred on numerous episodic and T.V. series such as: Hill St. Blues, Baretta, Police Woman, Quincy, Remington Steele, Matt Houston, Frank Cannon, The Colby's, Trapper John, Santa Barbara, General Hospital, Facts of Life and Chicken Soup, to name a few.
A Member of SAG, AFTRA and Equity. Studied with Stella Adler and Ralph Waite and a member of the Los Angeles Actors Theater
"It was Pat's dying wish to his wife, Evelyn to have his biography published or made into a film. So it's been her quest to full fill this promise."
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It's truly a one of a kind. Pat typically didn't sign headshots or movie posters, so they are very rare!
Each signed item will come with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Pat Morita Estate!
Full sized posters are 27"x41" and headshots are 8"x10".