Shortfilms

THRONE:

THRONE: THE LIFORIAN ODYSSEY: Witness The Birth Of ‘A Brand New Original IP’ In Aaron Toney’s Proof Of Concept Fantasy Action Pilot

In keeping up with the burgeoning potential of today’s independent film and stunt-talented creatives, Monday saw the premiere of actor and filmmaker Aaron Toney’s (Wolf Warrior 2, Debt Collectors, One More Shot) passion project, Throne: The Liforian Odyssey. The nine-minute shortfilm marks the latest phase in Toney’s proof of concept which began roughly a decade ago with the birth of a spectacular, action-packed martial arts short. “Even though this has been such a long journey, I know it’s still like, the beginning, because no one knows about this,” said Toney, who took to speaking with viewers while livestreaming the project on YouTube on Monday. “We need to go ahead and build a fanbase because, this is a brand new original IP, so we’re putting this out so that people can know that it exists.” Toney’s Thone: The Liforian Odyssey, is a continued evolution of that IP, now with updated costumes, weapons […]

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A GOOD DAY WILL COME Review: Amir Zargara Dares You To Care

Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Amir Zargara is back with a new short after taking off with 2021’s Become The Wounded. I haven’t seen that one but the logline hints a great deal at the kind of filmmaker Zargara wants to be in front of the viewing public, something he remains clear about in his latest work, A Good Day Will Come. Actor and martial artist Sia Alipour plays Arash, a promising wrestler with a chance to flourish on the mat and climb the ladder as a contender for Olympic Gold. His career flourish also comes at a moment of sociopolitical upheaval with a spell of protests against the Iranian government and calls for accountability turning violent onto citizens. Additionally, Arash must contend with the potential consequences laid before him by his coach, whose own apprehension is drawn purely from political apathy. Things change however when the film takes a striking emotive turn, […]

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POLICE FORCE: FIRST MISSION: Vlad Rimburg And Co. Break Out The Kicks, Claws, And Old-School Ardor In The New Action Short

It’s been four years since indie creator and industry stunt professional Vlad Rimburg put out a short. The good news is that he’s been making movies for twenty years now and it’s led to a fruitful career for him as a fight choreographer and stunt coordinator and occasional actor, and with a CV that deliniates a body of work attributed inherently to his love for action films, specifically that of the Hong Kong variety. His latest labor is out now with Police Force: First Mission, laced with an all-female line-up of stunt and action performers headed by Kaila Imada and Ashley Kim, and Caitlin Hutson and Amy Sturdivant. Clocked at twelve minutes with minimal dialogue throughout – save for the intro and a cool post-credits scene – Rimburg’s latest is a cavacalde of old-school action delight, topped off with nods to JCVD-style edits woven into the narrative to add to […]

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OUT OF BODY: Lestonja Diaz Takes Control In Joseph Le’s Chilling, Award-Winning Supernatural Horror Short

Stunt professional and action director Joseph Le (Everything Everywhere All At Once, “Ashoka”) remains a bookmark in who to watch going into the new year for me. In the time I’ve consumed his shortfilm work, he’s proven to be adept at telling stories beyond what’s up my alley, and his latest shortfilm project, Out Of Body, is proof of that fact. Lily seeks sexual liberation during an intimate date. But when she’s targeted by a malevolent vagrant’s spirit, her night turns into a battle for control over her own body, entwining desire, fear, and the supernatural. I’ve seen my share of long and shortform horror enough to know that these types of projects are about more than hype, gore, spectacle and jump scares. Le ekes out a little bit of these too, but with a crucial caveat in this instance with a message pertinent to things like consent and boundaries. It’s […]

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DRUNKEN HOODLUM Tristan Terns Unleashes His Deadliest Weapon Against Petty Thugs In The New Short Kung Fu Comedy

DRUNKEN HOODLUM: Tristan Tern Unleashes His Deadliest Weapon Against Petty Thugs In The New Short Kung Fu Comedy

It’s been twenty years since I first began laying eyes on the indie action community online, and it still pleases me to this day that folks are gearing up and putting out some of their inspired cinematic goods. The bulk of these creatives all came up from a love of Hong Kong cinema that reflourished in the West in the last three decades and that especially goes for Tristan Tern whose latest, Drunken Hoodlum, is out now for proper viewing. This is indie shortform kung fu comedy at its continued finest, and targeted specifically to those of us who’ve kept up with the likes of Zero Gravity, Youngmasters, and Martial Club of late. Tern directs and stars in the flick and also shepherds the action, in addition to co-cinematography. Hit play below and sub to the channel to keep up with the Dragoons Prevail crew. Sharp moves, boys!

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TAKEOUT TAKEDOWN!: Deliveryman José Manuel Gets Handed A Fistful In The New ASDO Action Comedy

This year saw filmmaker Joey Min and his team at Art School Dropouts make their return to the Urban Action Showcase presenting their latest indie action labor, Takeout Takedown! with actor José Manuel. The short, about a haphazard food delivery to a secret cockfighting ring, won several Bests for its presentation, including Best TV/New Media and Best Action Sequence, and is now playing online via their YouTube channel for the viewing public. To be clear, no actual chickens were harmed during the twelve-day period of this shoot. No, I wasn’t there since I live further East of the Hudson River, but I know a plush chicken toy when I see one. Enjoy the action and laughs below, as well as the behind-the-scenes of it all in an extended ASDO featurette beneath!

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FILIPINO KARATE KID: Isabel Lamer’s Martial Arts Drama Short Newds Your Help

Actress, writer and producer Isabel Lamers is on a mission to bring representation to the big screen with independent martial arts drama, Filipino Karate Kid. She has a Kickstarter campaign already underway for the project which went up a few weeks ago and thus, has about a few weeks left as of this write up. Half-Filipina Nia craves to belong ever since she left the Philippines as a teen. When she discovers a local Filipino martial arts gym, where as a Kickboxer she hopes to finally fit in, but not under the watch of queen pin gym-owner Angel who worked hard to be in the position she is now.  With the help of outcast FMA fighter, Malic, Nia trains FMA to prove herself to Angel, as well as to herself that she is indeed “Filipino enough”. At the same time, her superficial wanna-be upper class mother tries everything to make […]

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BATMAN BEYOND: YEAR ONE Trailer Teases Michael Yu’s Prospective Concept Fan Short

Batman Beyond: Year One is a brand new short film set to arrive online November 16. The project is the latest from writer/director Michael Yu and with Ryan Potter of Titans series fame heading up the cast. Under the supervision of a now-retired Bruce Wayne, high schooler Terry McGinnis balances crime fighting and budding relationships in a futuristic Neo Gotham. Initially shot last April, the team spent close to a year since then on post-production and began crowdfunding to pick the process up further. Their Indiegogo campaign surpassed its goal by January and completed post-production before setting up several festival and event dates in the second half of the year, including at L.A. Comic Con and at FilmQuest. The official trailer is online as of the weekend as well, showcasing more of what Yu aspires to convey as a proof of concept that advances the beloved 1999 animated series into […]

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Maria Tran in a still from fan trailer "Tiger Cop 2" on the left, and a courtesy headshot of actor Richard Norton on the right.

TIGER COP: PROJECT A: Richard Norton Joins In As Maria Tran And Adrian Castro Hail Next Chapter In The Nostalgic HK Style Shortfilm Saga

Fans of the independent Fideo Films and Phoenix Eye platforms are reconvening once more for another entry into the cult “Tiger Cop” shortfilm saga with Tiger Cop: Project A. Aussie director Adrian Castro will reteam with rising star Maria Tran (Tracer, Suka, Echo 8) on the new short with cameras rolling in Sydney and Melbourne in December. Tran will lead a cast that also lists Melbourne-based collaborators Vinh Nguyen, martial artists Louis Damien Chaurémootoo and David Hong, and comedian/actor Georgina Neville. Further bolstering the roster is legendary action star Richard Norton, whose credits partly include Twinkle Twinke Lucky Stars (1985), China O’Brien (1988) and its 1990 sequel, as well as Mr. Nice Guy (1987), Mad Max: Fury Road and its 2024 prequel, Furiosa, and upcoming Cynthia Rothrock Western vehicle, Black Creek. The concept behind Tiger Cop: Project A is a highly celebrated one for fans of the 80s and early-90s […]

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Ana Thu Nguyen in MIDNIGHT NEVER SLEEPS

This ‘Mortal Kombat 2’ Star Will Next Appear In This New Aussie Indie Horror Short Next Month

I forget that it’s pretty much Halloween season now, even with the deluge of horror projects in my inbox at times. Otherwise, I’ve always been and will be a keen supporter of actress Maria Tran (Tracer, “Last King Of The Cross”) who is just off the official launch of the Echo 8 trilogy project amid a series of workshops aimed bolstering local Australian indie film creatives. Par for the course is her latest shortfilm endeavor, Midnight Never Sleeps, a chilling 9-minute psychological horror film directed by Tran from a script by film partner Elizabeth H. Vu. The cast is led by Ana Thu Nguyen whose credits include The Spy Who Never Dies, Get Free, and Suka, as well as upcoming thrillers Primitive War from director Luke Sparke, and Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat 2 from Warner Bros. Pictures. In Midnight Never Sleeps, Nguyen stars as a pregnant wife left alone to […]

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Help Leo Kei Angelos Make THE JUMP For His Latest Project!

Vietnam continues to be a place of surprise potential for action films over the last few decades. That’s not to say I know where indie director and stunt performer Leo Kei Angelos’s (“Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” Halloween Kills) new short is going, but it pays homage to the genre if the details available at his Seed And Spark campaign platform are any clue. The new short is called The Jump, and Angelos filmed it in the course of four shooting days within two weeks. Angelos filmed the short in Vietnam marking his return to the country after 20 years of climbing the ladder as an action actor and stunt performer, and independent filmmaker working in Los Angeles. As Angelos details it, The Jump is inspired by his own exploits growing up as an action fan watching Jackie Chan movies in the 90s. The story centers on a young Jackie Chan fan […]

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GUNSLINGER MARY Goes Vertical In The New Gun-Toting Noir Short From ASDO

When duty and internal politics collide, a cop on the edge takes action into her own hands. A town plagued by scum of the underworld; an ugly, unsettling vengeance, through bullets and blood, aims to cleanse it all. This one’s a different change of pace, and a challenging venture to see if indie director Joey Min’s action directing chops can fit the mold in a vertical framework. It’s the latest from his banner at Art School Dropouts and it’s called Gunslinger Mary, with @ajkick101 herself Angela Jordan, and performances by Min along with Victor Chong, Andy To, and Hector Soria, coupled with an extra serving of Frank Miller fandom for the graphic novel-style noir appeal. Enjoy!

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PAPER LINE: BRAGGING RIGHTS Punches Down With New Key Art For Ryan Watson’s Shortfilm Sequel

Tubi is pretty much a go-to place for anyone looking for some delightful surprises in niche driven home entertainment. Ryan Watson’s independent shortform action drama, Paper Line, is a testament to this fact after two years of collecting awards and nominations from various festivals prior to its current streaming and digital availability. Chronicling the travails of young HBCU pledges in their efforts to join Alpha Omega Sigma, the inaugural short takes a dark turn revealing the more brooding, pugilistic, clandestine nature of the fraternity. Martial arts training and discipline are revealed as the barometers of survival in a story that ultimately conveys deeper introspection in its messaging, on matters of self-worth and acceptance. It’s a short story imbued with potent action direction and choreography from multiple hands on set, allowing for the nascent talent crop in its cast to shine in some of the film’s most striking and collectively thrilling […]

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BYE BYE RODNEY: Andy Long Nguyen’s Nostalgic Hong Kong Style Action Short Hits Hard!

I have a dream that one day Andy Long Nguyen will collaborate with another favorite creator of mine to make the dream throwback Hong Kong action opus. The idea has been replicated aplenty in Nguyen’s “Yellow Zone” short with Can Aydin, and with the “Tiger Cop” conceptual shorts from Maria Tran and Adrian Castro. I need this. It needs to happen, and I am almost certain I am not alone here. People know people, and frankly this is a thing that needs people who know people In the meantime, Nguyen, nowadays a core fixture in today’s Jackie Chan network of stunt and film proponents, knows other people too – people like Rodney Wong, Sefa Demirbas, and Marc Oberdorfer who’ve all come together for the first of a “Andy & Sefa’s Hong Kong Adventure” webseries with Bye Bye Rodney. It’s uploaded in 4K and cooks up to three minutes with all […]

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CLINCH New Action Short Now Online

CLINCH: New Action Short Now Online!

I’m in the midst of tinkering away at some reviews and Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruuwe’s YouTube just dropped this jewel which you can now view below with Clinch. Ruuwe is joined by Rajab Hassan for a dramatic kung fu brawl choreoed by Kai Fung Rieck and directed by Alexis R. Knapps Torres, shot back in February and is now available for consumption by the masses. Enjoy!

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THE CLIENT Kamen Ramen Is Back With A New Action Short And Im In It

THE CLIENT: Kamen Ramen Is Back With A New Action Short, And I’m In It!

Kamen Ramen Studios is out with a little practice action bit, and I’m inclined to do a cheeky little post about it. Hector Soria of TeamOneTake directs with key performances by Jess Drew, Abra Burkett, and Branson Bice along with a group of stunt players, and, a cameo by yours truly. Soria reached out to me about three weeks ago and asked if I wanted to help out and take part. I used my own phone and crammed myself into a small space to send him my footage. It was tricky at first but I got through it, and Soria and the bunch did the rest. The result is a bit more fun with Burkett and Drew punching people and making it look cool. Check out The Client below, and sub to Kamen Ramen below!

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99 PERCENT Boots Blades And Beer Bottles To The Face In The New Stunt-Loaded Sci-Fi Short

99 PERCENT: Boots, Blades And Beer Bottles To The Face In The New Stunt-Loaded Sci-Fi Short

In a futuristic city, AI has been implanted in humans head to help them in their daily life. Sometimes the AI can spread and take control of the host… That’s the wind-up-and-the-pitch here with 99 Percent, a new shortfilm from stunt professional and filmmaker Marc David. It’s a very lush and explosive piece of fight-heavy action sci-fi and ripe for the taking as an experiment with A.I. as a part of the narrative (not that I’m a fan of A.I.; I’m an OG student of the arts and grew up on James Cameron flicks as part of my boyhood diet, so don’t @ me). 99 Percent comes hand delivered by David and writer/fight choreographer Maxime Ecoiffier who stars along with Tomas Paredes, Angelique Rivoux, and Curtis Rowland Small. Got four minutes? Yes? Great. Enjoy!

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Nezumikozo Jirokichi (Japan Cuts 2024)

Japan Cuts XVII Review: A Roundup Of The Short Cuts Of This Year’s Festivities

There’s a bundle of movies I wanna watch this summer, and the list is only increasing. That certainly goes for the selections I have in mind for covering Japan Cuts next month. The official line-up is here and I’ll be touting a small curtain raiser later next Monday. To start though, I thought I’d dive into the Short Cuts portion to get warmed up. The works below are pretty inspirational and intriguing, and I’ve shared my reviews and thoughts for each in the descriptions of each still below. Director Rintaro’s twenty three-minute short is as much of a revelation as it is a celebration of the work to whom it’s attributed. The animated Edo-set folkloric tale of a Japan’s answer to Robin Hood is drenched in blue tint for its night time setting, and scored to a lively and skittish swing track to capture the playful antics of a infamous […]

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ULTIMATUM: Alyssa So And Tristan Cristol Pay A Bruising Open House Visit In The New Real Estate Action Short

My friend Cesar sent me this action short a few days ago and after finally checking it out, I’m inclined to do the damn thing and share it. Because that’s what I do. When I like something, I share it, so feel free to dive into “Real Estate Action Thriller,” Ultimatum at your own accord! Two siblings (Alyssa So & Tristan Crisol) get caught in a brutal fight for dominance to win the ultimate prize. Ultimatum was written and directed by Timothy Nguyen and hails from New Win Productions and Alan Wang Realty Group. Dom Huynh, Kelly Fleury and Vaughdio Forbes also star among the lot, and features stunt sequences by Spencer Greene. It’s ten-minutes of piquant action and comedy from start to finish. Got ten minutes to spare? If so, hit Play below and enjoy!

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OWL GIRL: Johnny Yong Bosch Hoots For Crimefighting Thrills In This Newest Proof-Of-Concept Short!

Don’t rule Johnny Yong Bosch out. His latest out of Vox Rocket Studio, Spades, is still in toe as the actor and ex-Power Ranger-cum-seasoned filmmaker also set his sights on Tidewater Comic-Con last week with proof of concept, Owl Girl. Following the loss of the Parliament of Owls, Skyway City’s greatest super heroes, a young girl named Lina Lopez rises up to defend the city from villains new and old. Zeke, the lone survivor of the Owls, must reluctantly take her under his wing and teach her what it takes to truly be a superhero. Not just the sky highs, but the lows as well. The series is intended for teen audiences and features a mix of serialized and episodic storytelling that reveals more upon rewatch. Bosch is shepherding the concept with Mike Federali and pairing Vox Rocket with Kamen Ramen Studios. Owl Girl is played by actress and industry […]

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