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Source: Variety
The action genre has a somewhat contradictory status in the world of cinema in that it’s simultaneously one of the most popular film genres (if not THE most popular film genre) in terms of box office performance, yet one of the least recognized when it comes to critical appraisal or award nominations. Just looking at the current weekend box office is enough evidence of the action genre’s lucrative appeal; all three films sitting at the top of the charts – Universal’s “Jurassic World Dominion”, Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear”, and Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” – can be considered action films to varying degrees. However, while films like these may score various technical awards over the course of the awards season, few of them have been fortunate enough to take home anything more prestigious. In fact, “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Black Panther” are among the very few action films to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in recent years, and neither of them were considered worthy enough of winning despite overwhelming praise from critics and audiences. Even with this lack of awards success though, many would still argue that there is an art to the action genre that is worth appreciating, and one event set to take place at the end of this coming July hopes to make that point very clear.
Taking place between July 28th and July 31st of this year, the London Action Festival will serve as a celebration of action films and all the talent and effort that goes into making them. The event will include various film screenings, panels, and demonstrations that will theoretically allow those attending to have a better understanding of what goes on in the making of popular action films of the past, present, and (hopefully) future. “We will be celebrating the skills and talent of those who bring action movies and TV to life,” claims festival co-founder/director Julian Alcantara. “We see the festival as a way of showing far greater appreciation for those whose incredible work and achievements are rarely recognized come awards season, particularly in the areas of stunts and action design.”
Opening the festival is a showing of the 1988 classic “Die Hard”, considered by many to be one of the definitive staples of the action genre. Following the screening is a Q&A panel between guests and the film’s director John McTiernan, who also directed the 1987 film “Predator”, which will also be screened during the festival. These are just a few of the classic action films that are expected to be shown throughout the festival’s four-day duration, and between them and all other events, there’s a strong possibility that guests will be able to appreciate these films in ways they may not have considered in the past.
One type of demonstration that will be featured as part of the London Action Festival is the masterclass, in which industry professionals will explain in great detail how they were able to achieve certain feats in the making of certain films. The visual effects of the recently released “Jurassic World Dominion”, for example, will be the subject of one of these masterclasses, with visual effects supervisors Paul Fulker, a partner and creative director of visual effects company Proof London Ltd. (of which parent company Proof Inc. is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year), and Dave Vickery from Industrial Light and Magic hosting the discussion alongside the film’s director Colin Trevorrow.
Stunt work will be another subject that will be focused on heavily throughout the festival, with “Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughn and his UK-based production company MARV hosting an exclusive screening of footage shot for the upcoming action film “School Fight”, directed by Damien Walters, who had previously worked as a stunt coordinator for various films and will be making his directorial debut with this new feature. In this upcoming masterclass, Walters will discuss the difficulties he faced in going from stunt professional to director, with cast members/fellow stunt performers Greg Townley and Bobby Holland Hanton also expected to take part in the panel.
For the most part, Picturehouse Central will serve as the main venue of most of the festival’s largest screenings and panels, but there are other locations throughout the Central London area where events are currently set to take place. These include the Royal Geographical Society and its upcoming Friday Night Showdown, which will combine comedy, music, panels, and numerous guests of honor into a single evening that will serve as a celebration of all things action. Other planned events include Write Club, where industry professionals will discuss the significance of the script in developing an action film, and Punch Above Your Weight – How To Make Your First Action Masterpiece, which will teach audiences how to create a professional looking action film on a small budget.
Serving as the festival’s primary media sponsor is the Internet news site Den of Geek, of which CEO Jennifer Bartner-Indeck described the mission statement of the festival (as well as Den of Geek itself) as “by the fans, for the fans”. As Bartner-Indeck put it best, “we’re looking forward to being associated with this long overdue celebration of the skills, creativity, talent, and bravery required to create the world’s most exciting content across film and TV.”
“This is going to be an exciting, fun and inspiring experience for audiences who love all things action,” states festival co-founder/director Ron Fogelman, who will work alongside Alcantara and cultural curator Ashanti Omkar to ensure the festival is the best possible event they can put together. “The very filmmaking that powers global entertainment deserves this level of attention and respect.”
