First it was flowers, now it’s film.Less than two years after launching his pop-up floral business, former Chicago Bulls player Derrick Rose is building a career in the movie industry.He is an executive producer of “Three Colors: Pan-African,” a narrative feature that just screened at the Chic ago International Film Festival. Directed by Elijah Davis, Tyler Ocasio Holmes and Allison A. Waite, the three-part anthology demonstrates the breadth of the Black experience. The film is a pivotal career marker for Rose, who previously produced the documentary “Punch 9 for Harold Washington,” in 2021. He also spearheaded projects about his own life, producing the documentary "Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story" in 2019 and directing the "Becoming a Rose" short film last year. He said he plans to tell more stories onscreen about Black history and culture, while expanding Rose’s Flower Shop and launching other ventures.“Basketball never defined me, even though people thought it did,” said Rose, 38, who retired from the NBA in 2024. A still from “Black: Breadman,” directed by Allison A. Waite. The segment is part of the anthology, “Three Colors: Pan-African,” which screened at the Chicago International Film Festival. Courtesy of the Chicago International Film Festival Named for each color of the Pan-African flag, the fictional stories in "Three Colors" cover a college football star reeling from an injury, an immigrant at risk of deportation and a TV actor trying not to compromise his morals.The film was conceived by Davis, a Chicago native and son of longtime NBA ref Marc Davis, and it co-stars veteran actress Loretta Devine and local actor Bashir Salahuddin. Steppenwolf Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Davis and “Windfall” playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney are also executive producers. The movie has won awards at the Slamdance Film Festival and the American Black Film Festival.The team is in talks with distributors to bring the film to theaters nationwide next year.“Everything that I'm involving myself in right now are things that I thought about [over] 10 years ago," Rose said. "It’s just that, now, I have the time to be able to dive into these things and bring along my family to create these businesses.” Derrick Rose (center) warms up with the Chicago Bulls in April 2013. Scott Stewart/Sun-Times Rose met 24-year-old Elijah Davis through the young director’s father and cousin, who is also Rose’s financial planner. Rose said he was impressed by Davis’ “selfless” approach to making the film; instead of working alone, the University of Southern California graduate shared writing and directing duties by recruiting others for the project.Davis and his team crowdfunded enough money to shoot one of the stories, which they shopped around as a proof of concept. With a fiscal sponsorship from Film Independent, a Los Angeles-based arts nonprofit, they attained 501(c)3 status for the movie, which allowed them to court investors, including Rose.“We wanted to bring together a large section of Black people who came from a bunch of different backgrounds, so that they could all put their own stamp onto the film,” said Davis, who is from the South Loop and now lives in Los Angeles. “Derrick immediately got that. He gave us the space to do what we wanted while also supporting the vision.” Derrick Rose poses on the red carpet at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts during the Chicago International Film Festival. The former basketball star said he is interested in documenting the lives of everyone from African emperors to other NBA players to unsung Black visual artists. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times Rose was also impressed by the script, especially the story about the athlete, who faces an identity crisis, economic uncertainty and tension at home after getting hurt.Directed by Davis, the segment — “Red: Black Men Don’t Cry” — resonates with Rose, who also dealt with injuries while playing basketball.“When you are the breadwinner in the family, and you have turmoil, it can be pretty hard when those expectations turn into burdens,” Rose said. “For me, I had those expectations since I was in the sixth grade.”Rose also said he could relate to “Green: Meet the Greens,” the segment about a TV actor, Jontavious (portrayed by Bashir Salahuddin), who is offered a lot of money to play a harmful Black stereotype. Like Jontavious, Rose also grappled with career decisions, such as rejecting certain endorsements, amid pressures to fit into a certain mold.“The money coerces you,” he said. “It makes you go against your morals and your integrity. Some people are cool with playing the game that way, but there's certain things that I turned down that I just wasn't cool with.” From left, director Allison A. Waite, actor Bashir Salahuddin and director Elijah Davis pose on the red carpet ahead of the screening of “Three Colors: Pan-African” during the 62nd Chicago International Film Festival at AMC NEWCITY 14 on Oct. 15, 2026. Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times As a Black actor in real life, Salahuddin said he is also careful about the types of roles he accepts.“Now more than ever, as an actor, you have to be responsible for the work that you do,” said Salahuddin, who also starred in the beloved Chicago comedy series “South Side.”“There certainly was a time when it was just work, but I think folks expect it to be a little more thoughtful now,” he said. “Luckily, especially when it comes to young filmmakers, they aren't even thinking about some of those old stereotypes and those old motives.”Another young director out of USC, Allison A. Waite said she was thinking about nuances within the Black community for her segment, “Black: Breadman.” The protagonist, a Black immigrant, initially shuns the African American residents of her community.“My film is about unity and what can happen when we put those prejudices aside and come together,” Waite said. “It's something that we don't really see that often, and I think it's an important part of understanding how we show up as Black people in the world.”Also passionate about telling Black stories, Rose said he hopes to continue working with Davis to bring some of his ideas to the screen. He is interested in documenting the lives of everyone from African emperors to other NBA players. And as a collector of Black art, he also wants to inform others about the unsung artists he has discovered.“Those are stories that I love to figure out,” he said. “I love the untold stories.” ...read more read less