Meet Derek J. Pastuszek – Paulist Productions Scholarship Recipient

A huge congratulations to Derek J. Pastuszek and his script HERLAND on receiving the inaugural Paulist Productions Scholarship!

Born in Philadelphia and educated in Boston, Derek J. Pastuszek holds both a BS in Film & Television and a BA in English from Boston University (2012); and now an MFA from the AFI Conservatory (2015). A lifelong hockey player, Pastuszek played in all four collegiate years at BU – serving as team captain as a junior and senior. In his post-graduate year, he worked for the Philadelphia Flyers’ Snider Hockey Foundation – sharing his love for hockey, along with off-ice tutorship & mentorship, to inner city Philadelphia’s at-risk youth. In 2013, Pastuszek moved to Los Angeles to begin his studies at the AFI Conservatory. Beyond his portfolio of award-winning scripts written while at AFI, Pastuszek also wrote & directed two short films — SOLITARY and ISLANDER — both of which are currently being finished and submitted to film festivals worldwide.