We recently connected with Derek Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Derek, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Sib’s Film,

My friend Yulia from Ukraine owns a coffee roasting business there with her brother called Sib’s. They also have several cafes. When the War with Russia began, she reached out on social for help. I wanted to help so I suggested we shoot a day of interviews with her. not knowing what I might do, I ended up producing a 15 minute short film that was highly emotional and sensational .We used it to help raise money for humanitarian aid that she and her family received and hand-delivered. We raised over 100k and could see direct help from our efforts.

For me, it was probably my most successful interview recording. We thought the film was worthy of a festival run, which we also organized. There were many tears that followed from everywhere we screened the film. The raw emotion captured was an act of trust and skill. And to see what would become of the effort was truly a success for my mission as a filmmaker.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a filmmaker driven by an insatiable curiosity for human stories and the visual poetry of cinema. From the stillness of a single photograph to the immersive world of feature films, my creative journey has been one of evolution, discipline, and deep storytelling. I have a lifelong addiction to cameras, stories, and pizza. I also go to unbelievable lengths to find a great cup of coffee.

My early work in still photography focused on capturing raw, unfiltered moments of life—an approach that shaped how I see the world cinematically. My first significant step into filmmaking came when I documented the events of September 11, 2001, in New York City. That experience changed everything and set me on a path toward visual storytelling in its most impactful form. Since then, I’ve earned credits on ten feature films and four Emmy-recognized productions, and I produced my first feature-length film, Healing Waters.

As a producer, director, cinematographer, and sometimes writer, I’ve worked across the industry—from gripping documentaries to visually arresting scripted films. My cinematographic approach is rooted in a deep reverence for light, space, and human emotion—qualities inspired by filmmakers like Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders. Herzog’s pursuit of the “heart of man” continues to influence my own search for the deeper truth within every frame.

I’ve worked in a variety of departments on film sets, which gave me a comprehensive understanding of the film-making process from the ground up. That hands-on experience has shaped my path as a Director of Photography and Gaffer. My origins in still photography continue to inform my work today—through lighting, visual composition, and the mechanics of storytelling through the lens.

I’m also the founder of Kaifilms, a production company focused on creating visually striking and emotionally resonant stories. Whether it’s a short, a feature, or a branded campaign, I aim to tell stories that are rooted in authenticity, driven by social justice, and crafted to truly move people.

No matter the medium, I dream boldly, pursue stories with intensity, and—much like the great directors who came before—refuse to live without vision.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One thing I had to unlearn is that my knowledge or financial resources do not limit my capabilities of creating.

Most of my career, I dabbled in video production, but felt there was no real way I could actually dive in because the amount of money or knowledge I needed to gain to be competitive was way beyond my means. I literally chose to start my career as a still photographer for this reason. Eventually, I would discover that I didn’t need to know everything and that I also didn’t need pricey assets or a studio to jump into the game. It took actually making my first short film for me to discover this.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After about 22 years of running a still photography business, I was aware for some time that the advent of digital workflows was significantly reducing my ability to keep clients because they were setting up their in-house studios and I had no interest in a pay cut to be able to stay in the business and work in house for only one client. That time finally caught up with me around the same time my mother in law got cancer and moved in with us. Our family decided that my work was slow enough that I would use my free time to help care for her, including attending many doctor visits, etc. During these 8 months, I decided that I wanted to change my work and thought that the film world seemed like a great place to be. I had been on many sets, big and small, and I always loved it. So I decided to make a short film, and I was sold. Although my short film was scrappy and very independent, it was completed and shown in festivals and we are now in the process of writing a feature script, 8 years later that I am going to shoot in Spain.

Shortly after producing the short, I bought my first 4k dslr and began the dive into building a camera and lighting package for my first corporate video series that I would shoot a few months later. I never looked back!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaifilms.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/DerekMakesFilms
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaifilmsusa
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-johnson-abaaa19/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DerekMakesFilms
• Other: https://djfilmmaker.substack.com/s/kaifilms