Private Project

The Good One

A newly released convict discovers a dark family secret after visiting his unsuspecting brother for help with their mother's home. A film about two brothers from the Jamaican diaspora.

  • Omar Derby
    Director
    Fine Thank You
  • Omar Derby
    Writer
  • Triny Beaty
    Producer
  • Van Cooper
    Key Cast
    "Buju"
  • Faithfulness Adebayo-Ige
    Key Cast
    "Justin McCooke"
  • Sebrena Sumrah-Kelly
    Key Cast
    "Mom/Ivy"
  • Ashley Forrestier
    Key Cast
    "Anikka"
  • Andre Wynter
    Director of Photography
  • Jesse Winter
    Associate Producers
  • Ronesha Strickland
    Associate Producers
  • Devin Parris
    Production Designer
  • Avery Shields
    Set Dresser
  • Sophia Darling
    Casting Director
  • Omar Derby
    Executive Producers
  • Kalechi Noel
    Executive Producers
  • Christopher Liggett
    Executive Producers
  • Brandon Lampley
    Executive Producers
  • Sid Singh
    Editor
  • Brian Krainson
    Stunt Coordinator
  • William McNair
    Gaffer
  • Roman Compitello
    Key Grip
  • Phil Hawkins
    Grip
  • Garrison Rolle
    Grip
  • Meitong Ye
    First Assistant Camera
  • Tasneem Jamnagarwala
    Second Assistant Camera
  • Jaden Lanfrank
    Second Assistant Camera
  • Stephanie Stephanie Haugaard Torres
    Script Supervisor
  • Tyler Shuler
    Key Production Assistant
  • Jaden Lanfrank
    Production Assistant
  • Isabella Dudley
    Make-Up Artist
  • Allison Hagan
    Sound Operator / Mixer
  • Don Wells
    Dialogue Editor
  • Steven Nguyen
    Colorist
  • Mario Galvez
    Visual Effects Artist
  • Terriann Derby
    Caterer
  • Kayla Sanders
    Catering Assistant
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Suspens, Thriller, Drama
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
Director Biography - Omar Derby

Omar Derby was born in Kingston, Jamaica then migrated with family to Brooklyn, New York at age 13. He earned a B.A. in Corporate Communications from Baruch College (CUNY), then began filmmaking with music videos, commercials and short films in New York City.

He spent several years in the military where he received formal foreign language training and deployments to Africa. He returned to filmmaking, relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, and accomplished his M.F.A. in Film and Television at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD).

He is currently known for his directing work on "Fine Thank You" (short) [Georgia Shorts Film Festival 2022 - "Best Lead Actor" Award Winner], "Anna v Anna" (short) [Selected for national broadcast on ASPIRE TV's "Indie Film Block," Episode 509], SCAD-produced series "MULTIPLAYER" (Episode 1.5: "Game Over"), "Transient" (short), "Pinky Promise" (short) and "Crazy/Love" (short) among several nationally-aired TV commercials.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I grew up poor in Kingston, Jamaica with my mother and three siblings. Violence and criminals were common. My mother instilled a strong drive, ambition, and morality in me. I studied hard and did well in school but still hung around the "bad" kids. My moral compass sometimes made me feel superior to them – as if I was the "good" one.

Growing older, I learned some of these bad kids did not have the healthy support or guidance I had from my mother. They were just discarded and labeled as bad. With no one who believes differently, some of them fell into a life of crime.

The Good One is a short film about one of these men - Buju.