The Fighting Spirit Film Festival is back for its tenth anniversary, bringing a massive lineup of martial arts and action films to the Hackney Picturehouse on September 13th and 14th. This year’s event packs the schedule with 34 short films and six features. It’s a chance for fans to see some big names and discover rising stars.
A Kick-Off with Break-Fu and a Classic Vampire Hunter
The festival starts early on Friday, September 12th, with a “Break-Fu” workshop led by stuntman Nathan Geering. He’ll be teaching a unique mix of breakdance and kung fu.
The main event kicks off on Saturday. You’ll be able to catch the classic Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, which is getting a screening from a new 4K restoration. The film originally came out in 1998 and stood out as a different kind of comic book movie. It was Marvel’s first big hit on the big screen, spawning two sequels. Snipes’s iconic role as a vampire hunter remains a fan favourite.
New Action, Old Legend
The lineup features plenty of new releases. Kung Fu Games, starring British actor Mark Strange, will screen with a special Q&A with Strange himself. The film puts fighters in a deadly martial arts game show where only one can survive.
You’ll also get to see Gunner, a new film from Dimitri Logothetis, the director behind the Kickboxer revival. It stars Luke Hemsworth and Morgan Freeman in a story about a special forces veteran who goes on a solo mission to save his kidnapped family.
For fans of classic Hong Kong cinema, the festival is showing Armour of God 2: Operation Condor, the lavish 1991 sequel with Jackie Chan. A Q&A with star Vincent Lyn will follow the screening. “Operation Condor will forever be known as the sequel to the film that almost killed Jackie Chan early in production,” the festival says. “More than that, the accident filming Armour of God in former Yugoslavia in 1984 caused Jackie to take a well earned break.”
Global Fights and Project Sifu
This year also highlights films from all over the world. There’s the Japanese film 四十九 – SEEK, directed by Shane Kosugi, son of legendary ninja actor Sho Kosugi. And from Kazakhstan comes Super Courier, a modern homage to old-school Hong Kong action cinema.
“Baktybayev ups the ante in this feature, bringing bone breaking stunts, extended fight scenes, and a generous dose of comedy,” the festival notes.
You’ll also get to see the short film The Protector from Bruce Chong. It’s about an unassuming couple on a date night who get into a massive brawl with some tough guys. The film promises a world of secret organisations and assassins.
Another big part of the festival is “Project Sifu,” a pilot program from Sheffield that teaches young people filmmaking through martial arts training. The festival will screen a short film and documentary about the project.
The festival has a packed schedule with films for every type of action fan. You can find the full schedule and buy tickets on the Fighting Spirit Film Festival’s website.
