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
    Fine Thank You
  • Triny Beaty
    Producer
  • Van Cooper
    Key Cast
    "Buju"
  • Faithfulness Adebayo-Ige
    Key Cast
    "Jus"
  • Sebrena Sumrah-Kelly
    Key Cast
    "Ivy"
  • Ashley Forrestier
    Key Cast
    "Anikka"
  • Ronesha Strickland
    Associate Producer
  • Jesse Winter
    Associate Producer
  • Andre Wynter
    Cinematographer
    Sweet Rind
  • Allison Hagan
    Sound Mixer / Boom Operator
  • Sidharth Singh
    Editor
  • Don Wells
    Sound Designer
  • Devin Parris
    Art Director
  • Isabella Dudley
    Make-Up Artist
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 15, 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:
    No
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.

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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.