Derek Wayne Johnson was born in Carthage, Texas, about an hours' drive southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana. He fell in love with cinema at an early age, developing a special affinity for the films Rocky and The Karate Kid. Those films were directed by Academy Award-winner John G. Avildsen. Through an unbelievable series of events, Johnson wound up not only meeting his filmmaking hero, but directing a documentary film about his life.

Robinson Film Center and Maccentric will present a screening of that film, John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs, on Tuesday, Aug. 8. Grab tickets to the film at RobinsonFilmCenter.org

Here's the All Y'all interview with Derek Wayne Johnson about growing up in the Ark-La-Tex, meeting your heroes and what it's like to interview Burt Freakin' Reynolds.