Actor and martial arts champion Willie “Bam” Johnson has a few projects on the way. One is a documentary set to bow in August from independent banner Maverick Entertainment. The other, 1 Out Of 100 is the latest collaborative effort from Johnson and partners Kimber Johnson and filmmaker/co-investor, Grandmaster Robert Parham.
Inspired in part by real-life events, 1 Out Of 100 is billed as a coming-of-age indie drama that centers on Elijah (Willie “Bam!” Johnson), an ex-con out on early parole and working at martial arts dojo whose current overseer, a young martial arts student named Jojo (Marshieh Johnson), finds himself confronted with the hardships of supporting his mother and younger brother, all while maintaining his standing as a role model for young children, and preparing for a chance at a local martial arts competition that could change his life.
Interestingly, my recent coverage of Johnson and his efforts included details on Jon Truei’s in-production kung fu comedy proof, The 44th Chamber Of Shaolin, in which his son, Marshieh, stars. I briefly visited the set of that project on Sunday evening – after hoofing it for about thirty blocks with no cabs or buses in sight – without knowing both father and son would actually be there since it was dark of night and filming was wrapped for the day, so you can kind of imagine my enthusiasm upon meeting an actual cast member of films like Superfights and Undefeatable and more prominently the Shannon Lee-hosted WMAC Masters…
Frankly, if I don’t stop now, I’ll lose the objective of this article and start fanboying. Deep breaths!…
Invariably, 1 Out Of 100 is the lynchpin for an all-out fundrasing effort by Johnson and his company to reach out to underprivileged children in communities impacted by the pandemic and other circumstances. There’s no release date as of yet for the project while a sequel is also in the works according to a press release issued earlier this month at Black Belt Magazine.
In the meantime, check out the teaser above and head over to PointMMA.com to learn more about how to contribute and donate.