THE CURRENT STATE OF THE BACKYARD POOL INDUSTRY

Director’s bio:

Derek Frey is a filmmaker and producer best known for his long-standing collaboration with director Tim Burton, with whom he has worked for more than two decades on a wide range of live-action and animated films. His producer credits include Dumbo, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Big Eyes, Frankenweenie, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Corpse Bride, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, among others.

Alongside his studio work, Frey has built a distinctive career as an independent filmmaker whose projects often draw from the humor, nostalgia, and quiet absurdities of American suburban life. His films blend offbeat comedy, dark whimsy, and heartfelt character moments, earning dozens of awards on the international festival circuit and cultivating a loyal following among indie audiences.

As a director, his dark comedy Kill The Engine won 45 festival awards including Best Comedy and Best Director at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards. His horror featurette Green Lake earned 50 awards, including Best Short at the Honolulu Film Fest. Recent projects include the dark comedy Viaticum with his long-running creative collective The Minor Prophets and the satirical suburban short The Current State of the Backyard Pool Industry.

Frey began his career as assistant to Burton on Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow, and Planet of the Apes, an experience that placed him at the center of large-scale filmmaking early on. As head of Tim Burton Productions, he helped shape films, music videos, commercials, and exhibitions, including the MoMA traveling exhibition The World of Tim Burton. He has also produced documentaries, music videos, and short-form projects across genres, often championing distinctive voices and unconventional storytelling.

He is a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and BAFTA, and continues to develop both studio and independent projects through his production banner, Otherworldly Pictures.