Welcome to the The Hot Seat.
Every month we will feature a filmmaker who is redefining West Coast filmmaking. It's time we start shining that ever elusive spotlight onto those in our community who are at the forefront of the BC Indie Revolution.
Each featured filmmaker will answer the same 10 questions, giving insight into their minds, inspirations, aspirations and dreams. The first five questions are rapid fire. Quick. Juicy. Intriguing. The last 5 are more profound, insightful, all about filmmaking.
Last month, Maddy Chang nominated the local directing legend Derek Kwam to brave the Hot Seat. Let's dive in!
Derek Kwan is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker based in Vancouver that strives to cook up unique narrative flavours for the screen. He wrote and directed the short film, “100 Days”, selected for the Telefilm Not Short on Talent Cannes 2023 program, and also won Outstanding Short Director at the 2023 Reelworld Film Festival. “100 Days” competed on Season 17 of the CBC Short Film Faceoff and won the Telefilm Grand Prize Award in 2024. Having garnered experience across narrative and documentary storytelling, Derek was one of eight mid-level producers from Canada selected as part of the inaugural Bell Media / BIPOC TV & Film Unscripted Producers Lab 2023 with a focus on showrunning. Other achievements include, 1st AD on “Different Than Before”, SXSW 2023 Jury Award winning music video. 1st AD on the feature film “Mongrels” winner of the VIFF 2024 Horizon Award. Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices 2022, Reelworld E20 cohort 2021, and Producer on two Telefilm Not Short on Talent short films, Cannes 2019 and 2022, for “Idols Never Die” and “Maundy”. Also an actor, Derek can be seen on The Last Airbender (Netflix), Yellowjackets (Showtime), recurring on Nancy Drew (CW), and co-starring on Space Force (Netflix).
Photo by Brian Van Wyk at the Filmable Portrait Studio
1. What is the first film you can remember having an effect on you?
It's tough to pinpoint but if we're talking the OG, it's probably The Mighty Ducks (1992). I had the box set trilogy on VHS which I ran back religiously over the years. Honourable mention to the original Star Wars trilogy VHS box set that I also put tons of mileage on and to Small Soldiers (1998) which holds a permanent spot in my Letterboxd Top 4. Ducks fly together.
2. If you could work with one filmmaker, dead or alive, who would it be?
Alt Headshot of Derek Kwan
Yorgos Lanthimos. I live for the surreal, the absurdity, the mundane. He has a way of finding the perfect pocket between ridiculous and reality. Give me some of that frozen Greek Yorgos.
3. If you could remake any film, what would it be and what would you change?
Not a film and this is gonna be a deep cut: I want to reboot the hit YTV game show “Uh Oh!” HAHA. They don’t make kids shows like they used to and I feel like an updated version would be sick. Who do I gotta talk to and who wants to come on the SLIME TOUR with me?
4. What is your biggest passion outside of being a filmmaker?
"100 Days" - Still
This is a tough question because I still intertwine all these things when it comes to film. Guilty. 💀 However, one of those passions is definitely food. When asked as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up, a “chef” was my answer for many years. I dedicate many hours and travels to chasing flavours. Along with that, cultural preservation is really important to me. From recipes, language, to heritage; asking, learning, and sharing what it means to be Cantonese is at the top of my mind these days.
5. What are you working on now?
How to pitch Yorgos on a line of high protein Greek Yorgurt. Writing and developing two feature film scripts: “Special K”, the baseball feature Maddy Chang told y’all to ask me about. Think Telefilm will let me get away with “Asians in the Outfield”? 😇 And an untitled project, current codename “Crack Eggs”, that I’m planning to shoot in Hong Kong. Lastly, I've been brewing on this food media brand/concept for a while now and finally got a kick in the butt to do something about it. I've found food stories to be so bland and formulaic these days, so we're gonna kick up the spice, add some MSG, and see where it goes!
6. Creatively, what inspires you to continue your journey in filmmaking?
"Gone Wishing" - Behind The Scenes
I still see a gap in the stories being made and told from Asian voices. Don't get me wrong, I'm optimistic on where things are headed, but there's still plenty of runway for our stories and I'm stoked to be part of it. Having the opportunity to make films and portray characters that are reflective of my experience, lens, and perspective inspires me to keep going. Growing up in a diverse East Vancouver of the 90's and 00's, I was never pressured to be a doctor or lawyer, and I never got made fun of for the smell of my lunch. I'm very much inspired by the surrealness of everyday human existence. Also the insane versatility of rice.
7. Who are your frequent collaborators and what do they bring to your projects?
Adriana Marchand. Ducks fly together. Jonah Lee-McNamee, my fellow McBride Eagle, once you get flooded in by the atmospheric river while shooting on the island and have to bunk up at Camp Qwanoes you're bonded for life. Two weekends ago, I did a RNG film (can't wait to share it) with Ryan Jeffrey (DOP) and then just last weekend we did an impromptu "turn n burn" to Toronto to shoot a short doc on two dope chefs that did a Hong Kong Diner Pop Up. I need sleep. Flavours were immaculate though. Lastly, special shoutout to the "Midgirls", the only people I'd go to a joust with. Fowls fly together.
8. What is the most rewarding part about being a BC filmmaker? What is the most challenging?
Being a part of this community that feeds off each other and is growing together is the ultimate reward. Like a potent sourdough starter. We’re in the renaissance era of BC film, seeing peers level up project after project and getting the recognition they deserve is awesome. Rather than what's most challenging, I think we need to continue challenging ourselves in terms of the craft and the stories we tell. Positively and constructively of course. 'Shake n Bake' away from the Pacific Northwest label, there's more to us than just forests and oceans ;)
9. As a filmmaker, how do you measure success?
Success - Shmuckcess! If I’m telling the stories I truly want to tell and it brings me joy then that’s all that matters. It’s challenging af, it’s easy for that doubt to take over, and I’m battling it all the time - but if I’m showing up and continuing to truck along then that’s success. To me, being a filmmaker is taking on the lifelong journey of being an artist. There is no end goal, or achievement, or accolade that can measure that. Except maybe being a guest judge on Iron Chef.
10. Who’s another BC filmmaker you’d like to spotlight?
Lauren Yim! Ok so I technically know Lauren, but I don't KNOW KNOW Lauren. So I thought who better than the LILBOSS to throw in the HotSeat!? I'm a huge fan of Lauren's skill and dedication to the craft and also the 'lilboss chair'.