We were lucky to catch up with Kayvon Derak Shanian recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kayvon, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

While I was attending college during my last year of film school, I was hanging out with some classmates in Santa Monica, we passed the Laemmle theater and there was a huge line wrapped around the building. I asked a guy in the line what’s the line for? He said we’re waiting to see this Iranian film. Being from Iran, I looked over at my friend and suggested – we should make an Iranian film.

So cut to a year later, we make the film with a shoe string budget and release it in the same theater. We might have been a bit too ambitious for our own good, trying to make a Persian horror film in the 90’s solely for financials reasons. I remember this college professor coming to watch the film and at the end he asked me why I made this film. I told him the reason and he proceeded to give me a big speech about why I should make meaningful passion projects rather than making a film solely for money. That resonated with me and he was right about that; we didn’t profit from our film.

Going forward I only directed films that meant something to me. I’m not saying that this is the only way to go, but it worked for me. Since then everything I’ve done that comes from the heart has in one way or another been successful.

Our current documentry “Shura” that I co-directed and produced with David Damian Figueroa is Oscar Qualified for 2024. The story is geared around Shura Wallin a woman who has spent the majority of her life with a handful of volunteers to save lives on the Arizona border. “Shura” is currently playing at the Academy Screening Room- accessible to Academy members for voting purposes.

It was an eye-opening experience for me in terms of the dedication of these volunteers. They are up at the crack of dawn until the sun goes down. It’s very unfortunate what these immigrants have to go through for the safety of their kids and themselves.

There is absolutely no way that anyone can cross and reach civilization on foot through the Arizona desert. The desert is approximately 100 miles wide. Either they will starve to death, get attacked by wildlife or get caught in the wild cactus. The death toll is astronomical and no-one really cares or tries to find a solution for this atrocity.

Not to mention the absurdity of the wall. Did you know the border wall cost approximately 43 million per mile and there are 10 foot gaps every 1/2 mile or so? I asked one of the border patrol the reason for the gaps and he said the gaps are left for wildlife to travel freely between countries. Can you believe that?

What I find so disheartening is that this issue is hardly ever covered in the media. When you look at the overall picture not just the Arizona border issue, everyone in this planet is seeking the same dream. A place that we can raise our kids and be with our family in peace.

To see a white woman in her 80’s going out of her way in these tumultuous times that we are in, to help people in need that she doesn’t know, brings a worm feeling to my heart and I hope the viewers feel the same way.

In this documentary, we didn’t focus on any political issues because it’s not about that. It only the explores the kindness of this wonderful person Shura Wallin and her volunteers who scour the desert looking for migrants who need help. Basically she is the Mother Teresa of the desert.

Continuing the meaningful projects, I’m in post-production on a 27 min short film called ‘Living In Fear” that I produced and Directed with producer Oscar Alvarez and a follow up feature that we are currently writing with college buddy, that we hope to have completed in the next few months.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started the journey of filmmaking in the Mid 90’s after college, although I started as a DP/Camera operator it slowly grew into Directing. When I decided to go full-time, it was when we formed a company “Love Project Films” back in 2015 with Oscar Alvarez. We been slowly growing into a full-time production company. Keeping the theme of doing meaningful projects is how I came up with our company name. :)

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

For a price of a Latte you can rent or buy an indi film on itunes, Amazon etc… because that is the only way they’re going to at least recoup their money and keep going forward in their journey. Indi filmmakers go through tons of obstacles to be able to tell their story. Anywhere from attaching the right talent, crew, locations, post production and the majority of them are self financed. When the project is finally done, after many years, unfortunately more often than not, the first time filmmakers are scammed by distribution companies.

Having also been scammed on my first film, I’m very sensitive to this issue and I try to guild filmmakers in the right direction as much as I can.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I would say the ultimate reward for me as a filmmaker is when I’m at a festival or a film screening and the audience is resonating and reacting positively to what you have made, I would say that is the biggest high a filmmaker can have. To take it one step forward is when they approach you and thank you for making this story because this is never mentioned in the main stream media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flowcode.com/page/kevinderek
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinderek
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-derek

Image Credits
Main cover photo by Darvin Morales