Help Kickstart Leonardo Corbucci's Martial Arts Drama, THE ART OF FIGHTING

Actor and martial artist Jin Kelley is currently in the midst of a month-long crowdfunding campaign to help raise money for the post-production of a new proof-of-concept shortfilm. The Art Of Fighting is the name of the project from director Leonardo Corbucci and is just about halfway toward its current goal in the hopes of guaranteeing a fully-fledged feature, and not for nothing either - especially with backing by BJJ Master Rigan Machado, Hollywood stuntman and actor Jon Komp Shin and action legend, actor James Lew also on board.

The Art of Fighting is a story about a humble guy named Daniel.  Daniel is in the beginning stages of a relationship with his girlfriend Rosie.  Rosie wants Daniel to learn to fight until she realizes that not only does he know how to fight, but is an accomplished martial artist with a dark past.  

Through this journey Rosie learns from Daniel that winning isn't always everything. The journey is always about the fight, and has no base in emotions. Rage, fear, discomfort nor excitement shall control him, even for a single second.  

He can endure the bitterest cold or the fiercest heat. When faced with death itself, his mind is perfectly still. The odds, the dangers, and the opponents may be massively against him and yet his concentration, steady and sharp as a sword, may cut through them all. 

Yes, he is a spiritual being indeed – but his spirit is the distilled essence of violence in his art, .........the art of fighting! 

Looking at recent films like Phillip Rhee's Underdog Kids and Michael Baumgarten's upcoming drama, The Martial Arts Kid, it'll be nice to see another contemplative film that goes right to the heart of a positive message. I like this trend as it provides just a great balance to a lot of other films out there and I look forward to seeing what comes of this one.

Of course, that can't be done without your help. And as such, there are plenty of perks to check out now at the official Kickstarter page where you may also meet the cast and crew in their campaign video, as well as learn how to donate and what you'll earn in return.

Help Kickstart Michael Neal's New Action-Packed Webseries, SWORDS OF INSURGENCY!

It's always welcoming to see original content stake its claim in the eyes of the film viewing world. As tough as it is to sustain, however, opportunities for things like this most certainly advantageous, and so director Michael Neal is now ready to heed the call with crowdfunding at his disposal for the hopeful support of his newest webseries, Swords Of Insurgency.

There's no doubt that this one assures quality in its inspired vision between production values and cast performances. I had the opportunity to screen the pilot episode myself awhile back and observe lead actress Rebecca Hausman in the lead role and was very impressed with what I saw in an episode full of drama, intensity and phsyicality worthy of capturing on camera with great fight action put together by indie action design team, DC Stunt Coalition, led by oft-contributor to Film Combat Syndicate, fight choreographer James Couche.

The set design, costumes and overall indoor and outdoor settings were fantastic, and all done with a small investment and it goes to show the level of talent you have to have in achieving that sort of thing. Clearly the talent is there with Neal, Hausman, Couche and the rest of the cast, and with the help of Kickstarter through generous donations in exchange for some tasty perks - including an exclusive viewing of the first episode, Swords Of Insurgency will surely be a feat to enjoy in a webseries with all the trimmings.

Decades have passed since the great apocalypse destroyed civilization. The world has now become a reincarnation of the dark ages, warlords rule and fight for domination. Firearms are now scarce and held only by a few who use it to maintain power; hand to hand warfare has returned as the dominant form of control or liberation against tyranny. 

Our story begins with Abigail a proud warrior with dark past, now imprisoned in a brutal political prison, run by the Emperor Taneg and his son Droll, a demented psychopath with a disturbing infatuation for Abi. 

On the outside a rebellion grows against the monstrous Taneg and his prison, Abigail must find a way to escape and join the rebels and their mysterious leader. But to what extent will she go? And what awaits her on the outside, is she stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire? 

A vicious world has been formed and Abi will find out first hand what it takes to survive and what it means to be human, in world full of beasts and monsters.

Head on over to the project's Kickstarter page and learn all you need about what the critics are saying, as well as how you can help bring another awesome webseries to life.

Swords of Insurgency Trailer from Omar juarez on Vimeo.

Casper Van Dien Hates Bugs, So Help Him Kill Them In Mark Steven Grove's STAR RAIDERS: THE ADVENTURES OF SABER RAINE!

Director Mark Steven Grove's love for independent, low-budget filmlore and all things action and sci-fi has since led him to his latest labor, Star Raiders: The Adventures Of Saber Raine. It boasts a main cast consisting of actor Casper Van Dien and action legends Cynthia Rothrock and James Lew, with actress Sara Salazar also serving as unit production manager and Adam Lispus producing and many of the people on set wore multiple hats throughout its principal photography prior to its completion. That said, Grove's new film needs your help now that it's in post production and a Kickstarter campaign is already underway to help accomplish just that.

SYNOPSIS:

Rocket ships, Rayguns, and Robots abound in this heart-pounding tale where the stellar adventurer Saber Raine is hired to guide three elite soldiers on a rescue mission to recover a prince and princess who have been abducted from their home world.   

The trail leads Saber and his allies to a planet deep within uncharted space inhabited by strange mutated creatures, leech-like desert marauders, renegade mercenaries, alien outcasts, and cybernetically enhanced soldiers that guard mysterious ruins of a long forgotten empire. 

Deep within the ruins, Sinjin, a sinister overlord freed from a cryogenic chamber that has been his prison for many centuries, is now in league with the Quintari, a malevolent insectoid race known throughout the galaxy as the scourge. 

In possession of a powerful new energy source, Sinjin plots his revenge on the descendants of those who betrayed him in the past. 

Can our heroes complete their rescue mission and stop Sinjin from unleashing his fury on the universe? Find out in Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine!

The campaign video at the Kickstarter page is up and running with speaking segments from Grove and Van Dien, in addition to a slew of footage from the film to help lend an idea on what Grove has in store for this latest intergalactic swashbuckler. He's got quite a diverse resumé with one particular shortfilm I had the opportunity to recently sample called Blue Hope in which he coordinated stunts for actress Marina Voruz's action and directing debut, and there's even a small clip for it available online as of this write-up which offers a somewhat promising testament to the kind of work Grove loves doing for filmgoers.

So if you want to see something on a slightly bigger scale with greater star power, Star Raiders: The Adventures Of Saber Raine appears to be that film, although it can't be done without your help, and as per its crowdfunding status, there are perks indeed!

Watch the campaign video and learn all you need about what you can give and get back in return.

Help Kickstart Motion Spectre's Latest Martial Arts Shortfilm, ONI

Concept art by Lukas McGovern

Hopefully by now you've become a purveyor of Film Combat Syndicate's weekly Hit List. Actor, stuntman and fight choreographer, Fight Factory Stunt Team's own Michael Lehr's history of my coverage dates back to my time as a mere Facebook admin while Lehr has since become much more prominent online in content creation over the past few months, and there are plenty of highlights to look back on.

For this, we now turn to the next four weeks as a new Kickstarter has launched for Motion Spectre's newest endeavor, Oni, a new shortfilm that opens a door into a millieu of filled with Japanese folklore as the premise for ample martial arts action. And what's more, Oni is an original story with not based on anything but sheer innovative thought through the creative process led by up-and-coming filmmaker Sam KJ and a devoted cast and crew.

Everyone has their demons, but Chris Hokama's situation is a little more extreme. He's being followed by an ancient demon from Japanese folklore called an Oni, who only wants one thing: blood. 

Through their connection, the Oni drives Chris to an unquenchable bloodlust, and he must find a target. 

The Oni shall once again feast on the souls of men.

The Kickstarter is asking for $5,000 to make up half of what it needs to help move the project forward and bring Oni to life. It sounds like it's worth a shot to lend a couple of bucks to, and with Lehr and his crew on hand, this shortfilm could have a lot to offer.

All it really needs now are just a few minutes of your time to watch their Kickstarter campaign video and view the details therein on how you can help, and what you can get back in return.

KUNG FURY Unleashes Its Fury Online Today!

Filmmaker and Kickstarter success story David Sandberg is likely having a really good year right now. Having started from almost nothing but an idea, a small crew, a nostaligic appreciation for the 1980's and love for things fantastic of the decade therin, his newest half-hour short, Kung Fury is about to kick its way online starting at 3:00pm EST/12:00 PST with a televised premiere on El Rey Network at 6:30pm EST/5:30pm CT.. And yes, this is all a pretty big deal too with a feature-length picture also in the works in the wake of the shortfilm's notable reception at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes this month.

KUNG FURY is an over-the-top action comedy written and directed by David Sandberg. The movie features: arcade-robots, dinosaurs, nazis, vikings, norse gods, mutants and a super kung fu-cop called Kung Fury, all wrapped up in an 80s style action packed adventure. 

Kung Fury takes place in a variety of exotic locations; 1980s Miami, Asgard and Germany in the 1940s, to name a few. With a limited budget to work with, we had to solve this by shooting most of the scenes against a greenscreen backdrop. 

Kung Fury was funded mainly through a Kickstarter campaign, where people from all around the world showed their support for this crazy project. David worked on the film for a more than a year with almost no budget but a strong vision, with the help of friends and family. Most of the film has already been shot, but additional filming and lots of visual effects remain to be done. 

The film will be around 30 minutes long and released for free on the internet.

Kung Fury is also being made available on VoD courtesy of Under The Milky Way as well along with some cool new merchandise now available over at the official website, including posters, shirts the official soundtrack on Vinyl and much more. Bear this in mind as you've read this article this far with just hours and minutes as of this write-up before Sandberg unleashes his Fury to the world. Mind the countdown and enjoy!

MY GOOD FRIEND MANNY Needs Your Help To Get Manny Pacquiao's New Action Comedy Going

Boxing champion and actor Manny Pacquiao often gets attached to a lot of films as he also has some starpower based from his native Philippines. This week however, in lieu of his forthcoming match with Floyd Mayweather, he's got a new major motion picture in the works with a Kickstarter and publicity push already underway. My Good Friend Manny is the name of the film which pits two geeks trying and failing to make it to the high-life within boxing scene until they decide to try and kidnap the champion boxer out of sheer desperation. Crazy, daring, and nonetheless quite promising for folks who are into road comedies like the Hangover trilogy and the like.

Two Can Play That Game helmer and Barbershop trilogy creator and producer Mark Brown is tapped to direct the film which currentluly has fourteen days left to help crowdfund just enough to help the solidify and package all the necessary goods to finalize it all on paper for production as well as future distribution. An official press release was just unveiled a few days ago with all the details written on how they plan to balance the production with the champion boxer's schedule provided things move forward, in addition to links to the Kickstarter and Facebook pages.

Los Angeles, CA, March 29, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The first phase of production of the action-comedy film titled “My Good Friend Manny,” starring world-boxing champion and international superstar Manny Pacquiao, has been launched by veteran filmmaker, Mark Brown and Filipino-American entrepreneur, Danny Cruz. The film is budgeted and produced to go through the studio production, marketing and distribution system in mainstream Hollywood fashion.

With Manny Pacquiao’s busy fight training schedule, for the upcoming “Fight of the Century” with Floyd Mayweather this May 2nd, the production timing will work around him. Preproduction work will take place during the next several months, with camera shoots for Manny’s role to take place during the hiatus between fights, his next one most likely in November. “Win or lose, the show will go on,” said Mr. Cruz, when asked about Manny’s chances in the fight, and whether it would affect the film production. He continued, “Manny is a great boxer, athlete, and personality who will continue to fight and act, with millions of adoring fans for years to come, and the movie will be in great demand.”

Mark Brown, an executive producer of this film, has many years of Hollywood experience, ranging from acting, to writing, directing and producing. Some of his credits include the successful MGM’s “Barbershop” and “Barbershop 2”, BET’s “Baldwin Hills”, as well as “The Salon” starring Vivaca A. Fox. Mark and Danny have worked together on a number of technology and media projects throughout the world, and have come together again to work with Filipino superstar, Manny Pacquiao, in what is sure to be a Hollywood blockbuster film.

About the Film Production: The film just made its debut on Kickstarter, the largest and most successful crowdfunding site in the world.

Currently active, the film Kickstarter is at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1145329802/a-manny-pacquiao-hollywood-film. The Film Fan Club, started by the producers to promote the film, is also actively engaging a huge Filipino/American/Sports fan base, building its own massive interest site on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MyGoodFriendMannytheFilmFanClub.

Phillip Darlington's THE DARK ZONE To Launch Kickstarter On March 30

Kickstarter teaser from Phillip Darlington on Vimeo.
The video you see above is only a few days old as of this write-up, although there is plenty of time to take note of what's about to happen in relation to this week's newest press release announcing crowdfunding for the new contained action thriller, The Dark Zone. "Die Hard in a cave" are a good way to describe the story being sold here about a former soldier's relentless cave trek in search of his daughter being held hostage by pack of jewel thieves led by Jim Hanks (brother of actor Tom Hanks) and champion boxer Manny Pacquiao as one of his machine gun-wielding henchman.

The film will be directed by former James Cameron cohort Phillip Darlington and you can learn more at the official website prior to the launch of the film's Kickstarter campaign at the bottom of the month. Feel free to check it out, otherwise, read on for further details and watch for more info thereafter.

DENVER, CO, March 05, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With a 22 day shoot schedule this feature length action picture has an aggressive but creatively well planned approach to achieve a maximum effect. The Kickstarter campaign begins on March 30th to set spark to the engine that will run the production phase of planning and shooting for the movie.

The story of THE DARK ZONE takes place in a massive tourist cave with 25 miles of underground caverns that breach the border of Mexico, an alternate escape route for a pack of jewel thieves who knock off a local gem show and take hostages. To an ex-Military Ranger and father the thieves hardly stand a chance against his determination to get his teenage daughter back.

"I learned a lot in the 5 months I worked by Mr. Cameron's side and underwater on THE ABYSS. Tempo, dramatic timing and using darkness as a character combined with confined spaces is like harnessing lightning in a bottle," says Darlington. When I read THE DARK ZONE, I knew this was the movie for me to Direct.

"It's DIE HARD in a cave," says Co-Author Steve Perry of the award winning writing team of Michael Reaves and Steve Perry. They are known for writing novels for the franchises of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Gene Rodenberry. Michael Reaves won an Emmy for writing BATMAN: The Animated Series and combined, the two writers have been named New York Times Best Selling authors.

Casting for this film adventure includes Richard Hatch, along with fellow BATTLESTAR GALACTICA star, Lili Bordan. Additional interest from talent includes: Fiona Dourif, Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao has expressed exercising his acting chops as a machine-gun wielding bad guy. Jim Hanks (brother of Tom Hanks) will play Bad Guy Ring Leader - Klash. Academy Award Winning (STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) Production Designer Lesley Dilley will help craft key interior sets and cave replications. Morpheus Film's Neil Johnson will Co-Produce and Ben Kufrin is the Director of Photography. Composer Jon Kull (AVATAR, HUNGER GAMES, I AM LEGEND) will score the movie.

Production will shoot at least 65% of the movie inside real caves and the remaining exteriors and interiors will be shot in locations in New Mexico, Arizona and California. A Sound Stage will be used to shoot intense stunt work and pyrotechnic and physical effects that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to capture in environmentally conscientious locations. "We are the little action film that could," states Darlington. "But we have to work around Bats and Centipedes. They don't need a movie crew disturbing their mating season."

Cinematographer Ben Kufrin will provide the visual precision needed for the dark and claustrophobic look of the film. "When I saw Ben's reel I was impressed with how efficient he is. Not a single shot is waisted on telling the story," Darlington exclaims.

Says Kufrin, "Technology has evolved in the last five years in quantum leaps. I think what that technology gives us is a possibility of shooting something that's never been seen before."

Help Crowdfund Mattson Tomlin's New Feature Thriller, RENE

Moviegoers all have their own tastes. Some prefer solid genre films while others aren't very selective, and of course it takes a good filmmaker to make a movie work no matter what vision entails. As of late, independent director and crowdfunding patron Mattson Tomlin fits such a profile for the sake of his latest crowdfunding venture on Kickstarter for the new film, Rene.

The film is the latest from Tomlin and producers Jordan Lietz and Raji Shivshanker from their Big Monster L.L.C. banner which they founded last summer prior to beginning work on Rene. Collectively, it's a story aimed at various cinematic tones to shape a multifaceted, gritty coming-of-age character drama with all the tropes of a thrilling and intense, mystery epic to boot. Oddly, it's for this reason that it hasn't been an easy road to financing for Tomlin. Hence his return to Kickstarter for a third time.

Having shot some useful footage in the form of a 16 minute prologue while on location in the wooded vicinity of Moosehead Lake in Maine, you can now view at least a few minutes' worth in a trailer edited into the new campaign video you can now watch below with a few words from Tomlin thereafter.

SYNOPSIS:

Maine. 1997. Autumn. A father teaches his son to hunt. Their weekend is violently interrupted by an accident that quickly evolves into an unforgivable act that sends the father into hermitage far in the reaches of the north woods. 

He is alone for eight years. His actions have forever changed his own life and the life of the strange child who witnessed the accident. 

Massachusetts. 2005. Winter. A boy on the verge of becoming a man wrestles with the demons of an accident eight years ago that forever changed him. He carries scars that cannot heal. Obsessed with the idea of a man living in the mountains in peace and solitude, he retraces the steps that brought him out of the woods alive as a child to find the man who killed his family.

Watch the video below and head over to Kickstarter to view more information about the film, the team, how to donate, and the perks you can earn for your generosity.

H/T: Nathan Quattrini, Keith Hayward

Singapore Martial Arts Action Comedy, I'MPOSSIBLE, Launches On Kickstarter

To some, Singapore may not exactly stand out as significantly when it comes to surveying the globe for prominence in martial arts movies. However, there are folks who are otherwise hopeful in flipping those prospects for the better, and it's a case that does have some merit considering the amount of talent on display via social media from said country.

For this instance, we now look to the new Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the new Rocky-esque underdog martial arts action comedy, I'mpossible - a portmanteau built on the words "I'm" and "possible". Singapore's own Grid Synergy is backing the project with film veterans, director Gilbert Chan (23:59, Ghost Child) and actor Vincent Tee (Ghost Child, Afterimages) along with aspiring actor Daniel Wee whose heartfelt testimony in the brand new campaign video over at the page makes THIS particular Indiegogo campaign all the more awesome.

The movie itself is based on a short film concept which has since filmed a trailer. It's quite impressive in its own right, and considering they want to expand this into a feature, I have all the hope in the world that this gets fully funded and moves forward.

Watch the trailer beneath and then visit the official Kickstarter page to learn more about I'mpossible, become a donor and win perks in exchange for your generosity!

Want A Bruceploitation Documentary? A Celebrity Stage Event? Nickolas Nielsen Is Making Either Of These Happen!

You can certainly imagine the challenges faced by studios more than forty years ago who were desperate to find the "next Bruce Lee"... literally. The search for lookalikes who could echo the famed martial arts action star's image became top priority for filmmakers and producers following the 32-year old actor's and Jeet Kune Do founder's untimely death in 1973, and it has spawned many films resulting in an era dubbled notably as "Bruceploitation".

The era still remains as a cult phenomenon among fans alike with a multitude of performers, (a few of whom have passed away in the years since) who've become famous for their portrayals of the actor in some iteration, including Bruce Li, Bruce Le, and Dragon Lee (a.k.a. Moon Kyong-seok) and despite previous documentaries, it's a phenomenon that still drives questions from those curious to hear the real stories and answers. Well, as of just a few days ago, filmmaker Nickolas Nielsen began spearheading those efforts in the form of a new Kickstarter campaign for his own documentary, now aiming for a December 2015 release, according to CityOnFire.com.

Nielsen's campaign is just under two months away from its end, so hopefully this will grant him plenty of time to meet his current goal of $96,000. However, Nielsen also offers a possible star-studded stage gathering of Bruceploitation actors along with noted actors and directors, including Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Quentin Tarantino, Sonny Chiba The Last Dragon star Taimak, famed producer Raymond Chow, as well as Lee's daughter Shannon Lee and MANY more, provided that the fundraiser meets stretch goal potential.

The director has already gotten a headstart in making his documentary happen, having already interviewed Game Of Death actor Mel Novak (pictured above, right of Nielsen), of which you can catch a small segment in the campaign video over at Kickstarter. Feel free to check out at the page and learn more about what else Nielsen has in store for the film, as well as the perks listed in exchange for your contributions. 

H/T: City On Fire

Everyone Is A Target In The Official Webseries Trailer For BLACK: SEASON TWO

It's been a couple of years since the journey began for filmmaker and series creator Frank T. Ziede to bring the new espionage military action series, Black to fruition as a sprawling military epic filled with thrills and intrigue following efforts via Kickstarter. Thankfully, the independently-funded action-packed show found an audience with the first season last year, and Ziede and the creators have now responded in kind with a second season to release sometime next year.

Now enfused with a slightly larger budget and more resources, Black: Season 2 is adding more characters, more layers to its epic backdrop, and more high-impact drama and intense action. If that doesn't draw your attention then perhaps the brand new trailer released this week will suit your needs. Starring 22-year veteran and former Navy SEAL, actor Mikal Vega (Transformers: Age Of Extinction, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), Black centers on the leader of a special-ops team created in the wake of a terrorist attack on American soil. This time, the stakes are much higher as our hero and his crew will be taking on high-level mercs and cyberterrorists targeting the world markets within the U.S. as it faces the reality of a mole in the midst.

Vega is joined by a mix of new and returning actors including Daniel Betances and John T. Woods, actor and U.S. Army Ranger Hall Of Famer Howard "Mad Max" Mullen, actor and former recon Marine Andre Jackson, former U.S. Navy SEAL Mark Golden, and actor Mortal Kombat Legacy: Season 2 co-star Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa to name a few.

Watch the teaser below and subscribe to the channel for the show's pending 2015 broadcast!