Derrick Fong was born in Winnipeg, Canada but grew up and lives in Toronto, Canada. At a very young age, Derrick was interested in expressing himself creatively through sketching, painting and photography. His informal education was fueled by a constant supply of movies, music and comic books. Through these mediums, Derrick expanded into graphic design, 3D animation, and visual effects. But it was in filmmaking that Derrick found he could combine all these traits into a single form. Cinematography was just an extension of photography's composition and light; storyboards and concept sketchs were an extension of traditional handdrawn art; poster art and visual effects were an extension of the digital tools he had acquired.

His formal education includes: Earl Haig Secondary School and Don Mills Collegiate; Humber College, where he studied 3D Animation for Broadcast and Design; and The New York Film Academy in New York City, where he completed the Filmmaking Program in 2005.

He currently splits his time between Hong Kong and New York.