american fighter

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AMERICAN FIGHTER Review: Derivative, But Still Packs A Punch

AMERICAN FIGHTER is not an action film per se but rather a sports drama, think more along the lines of ‘BEST OF THE BEST’ (1989), ‘BLOODSPORT’ (1988) or even ‘ROCKY’ (1976); and though it lacks the same pedigree as those classics, there is still much to like about this film by Director Shaun Paul Piccinino. The clinch here (pun intended) is that the protagonist is not an all American boy-next-door, but rather that of an Iranian refugee seeking his own version of the fabled ‘American dream.’ Yet it eludes him due to his ethnicity, with the 80s setting besieged by conflict in an era of the Iranian hostage crisis and the like.

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AMERICAN FIGHTER Conquers In The U.K. This Summer From Signature

Shaun Paul Piccinino’s American Fighter stood tall at Fantasia last summer, if my own thoughts on the film are of any hint. It’s the film that follows up from Alex Ranarivelo’s 2016 based-on-a-true-story induction, American Wrestler: The Wizard, with actor George Kosturos reprising his character now for a more fictional telling, and served with a few doses of kicks, throws and body blows to boot.

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George Kosturos in AMERICAN FIGHTER (2019)

AMERICAN FIGHTER: George Kosturos Ups His Game In The Official Extended Trailer

Filmmaker Shaun Piccinino is proudly taking the floor at the Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU for the world premiere of his new action drama, American Fighter. The film, which returns actor George Kosturos to the screen in a loose follow-up from Alex Ranarivelo’s American Wrestler: The Wizard, is screening on July 28 for this year’s 23rd Fantasia Festival which just unveiled an extended trailer above, and programmer Rupert Bottenberg sums up the film accordingly:

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Action Drama AMERICAN FIGHTER Taps Shaun Piccinino To Direct For ESX

Acclaimed director and film multi-hyphenate Shaun Piccinino is set to direct American Fighter for ESX Entertainment. The film is a sequel to last year’s American Wrestler: The Wizard which starred actor George Kosturos in the 1980-set tale of a young Iranian teen transplanted into a new town where he’s forced to face adversity from all angles after joining the high school wrestling team.

Kosturos is returning to the sequel according to a new report from Variety which also lists Tommy Flanagan, Bryan Craig, Sean Patrick Flanery and Parviz Sayyad attached to star. Forrest Lucas, Ali Afshar, Christina Moore and Anna Zielinski are producing the film with a story by Afshar that now centers on a desperate teen who builds character between opponents upon competing in the underground fight circuit to save his dying mother.

“Continuing down the line of a ‘Rocky’ meets ‘Karate Kid’ story, this new ‘American Wrestler’ movie remains a very heartfelt project for me,” Afshar said. “The response to my true story was extremely motivating so I wanted to keep the story going in a consistent manner and tone and have the right script and cast to rekindle the magic of the first film. The sequel is an original story and not based on my life – I don’t think I would have excelled as an underground fighter.”

Piccinino is a seventeen-year veteran of film sharing credits both in front and behind the camera with skills in martial arts under Guru Steve Pisa, as well as acting, fight choreography, motion capture, VFX and editing to name a few; Select credits include shortfilm Mable, television series Deadliest Warrior, Truly Indie Studios webseries Six Feet Down Under and Heroes With Issues. His 2012 Guy Ritchie-style feature crime thriller, The Lackey, circulated SoCal Film Festival and the AOF Film Festival and acquired four wins among a raft of nominations before releasing in 2013.

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