Semyon Iosifovich Derevyanskiy was a Soviet feature and documentary film director. He was born in Yuzovka, Ekaterinoslav guberniya, Russian Empire. He graduated from the Commercial School. From 1926 to 1927, he studied acting with I.Z. Trauberg and G.M. Kozintsev at the FEKS studio in Leningrad. He worked at the Leningrad factories Trudkino, Rosfilm, Lensoyuzkino (later Lenfilm), first as an assistant director: Rest on End (1929), Woman in the Forest (1930), then as an assistant director: In This World (1931), Seeking Protection (1932), Moonstone (1935), Deputy of the Baltic, Son of Mongolia (1936), The Year Nineteen (1937), Courage, Tankers (1939), acted in episodic roles. Later he worked as a second director. Director-producer of two feature films (in co-authorship), as well as documentaries.