Derek Quick (Negane Meno) is a multi award-winning Native American/Hispanic Writer, Director, Producer, and Disabled U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard Veteran with over 10 years of military service. He is a member of the Ottawa tribe of Oklahoma and his grandfather Chuck Red Cedar Todd was the Chief of the tribe.
Derek’s films have screened at Oscar Qualifying festivals around the world including Short Shorts Japan, Hollyshorts, Cannes with the American Pavilion and LA Skins Fest. Derek’s Film Kommando 1944 a WWII film about the Japanese Americans in Internment camp in Manzanar California won over 160 awards including Outstanding World War II Short Film winner at the 2019 Spielberg’s Band Of brothers film festival, won two Telly awards for best director and best diversity film. He also won two Remmy awards for best director and best drama short film at the World Houston festival.
His latest film Camping has been selected into another Oscar Qualifying festival this year.
Derek has a Degree from The American Academy Of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and studied filmmaking at The New York Film Academy. He was accepted into the Writers Guild Veterans foundation in 2023. Derek was in talks before the strike to direct his first feature film titled Maid To Steal with producer Brad Wyman – Monster- Academy Award and Independent spirit award winner (2003.) Based off of Derek’s current short film Camping. The film is about a struggling mother of color that In order to regain custody of her daughter comes up with a plan to rob a megachurch. The film is very personal to Derek as he and his mother were both working and homeless at one point.
Derek’s feature screenplay for Maid To Steal has advanced this year to Quarter Finals at the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 2023, Second Rounder at the ScreenCraft Film Fund Fall 2023, Semi Finalist at the Story Pros awards, Finalist at the LA International Screenplay awards, Quarterfinalist at the Filmatic Inroads Fellowship season 6, and Quarter finalist at the Creative Screenplay feature competition. Derek is also an active stock investor running his own fund since 2006 and currently in third place in the world stock investing championship against active professional hedge funds.