indie action

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New Announcements Arrive From DOGHOUSE 73 PICTURES

News has been waiting in the wings for sometime now involving independent filmmaker James Lee and the plans he has brewing over in Malaysia for his upcoming original channel, Doghouse 73 Pictures. Today, the channel’s conception grows closer to its full realization with the launch of the official website with new projects announced for feature-length and short films, series and theater projects, in addition to other film-related merchandise as well. Of course here, what draws our attention is the action, like Lee‘s previous conceptual fantasy action short, Atlantis Conspiracy with Jourdan Lee Khoo and Sunny Pang. This month, the first of several projects being actively lined up include the currently-developing full feature horror thriller, The Lives Of The Rabbit Men, and the upcoming short film that caught my eye, Second Life. The latter, another of Lee‘s visions looking to bolster the Malaysian film circuit on a feature-length level, has already […]

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"Are You Ready!?!" Watch The New LBP Test Fight Short, THROWDOWN!

Michael Lehr and Alexander Hashioka-Oatfield trade shots in the LBP short, THROWDOWN Independent filmmaker Emmanuel Manzanares continues to entertain the masses this month with a brand new pound-for-pound action short titled Throwdown. Filmed just this past Sunday, the project is one in a continual series of the usual experimental pieces representing the body of work by LBP Stunts Chicago as Manzanares expands his craft with other stunt performing actors in front of the camera, this time with LBP member Alexander Hashioka-Oakfield and West coast-based Fight Factory’s own Michael Lehr. I spoke to the two performers this week leading the way with Lehr, who recently appeared opposite actor and director John Wusah in their latest collaboration titled Valiant just last week. And it just so happens that while Lehr has been familiar with LBP’s work for a long period of time, Throwdown is his first pairing with Manzanares and anyone from […]

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More Girl Trouble For Seshiro In The New Test Fight Short B-GIRL BEATDOWN

Mari Saito gets her kicks while Sharon Berezin flips into position in ‘B-Girl Beatdown’! Dragon Phoenix Entertainment continues to stay on the map this month with independent filmmaker Shaun “Seishiro Kazama” Charney as he continues getting into more girl trouble, this time with performers Mari Saito and Sharon Berezin. Their new test fight is one of several experimental pieces for the ladies as of the last several years, including Saito whose specialties in dance, acrobatics, Chinese martial arts and working professionally as a cirque peformance artist have been major tools in shaping her craft to work with folks like Charney with whom she recently appeared in the second and third installments of Micah Brock’s fantasy action miniseries, Slug Street Scrappers, in addition to independent filmmaker and photographer, Jeff Centauri. Berezin, hailing from the great state of New York, began cutting her teeth earlier on in Goju Ryu Karate before stepping […]

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Mark Hudson And Marques Archie Kick Off 2014 For Dragon Spirit Productions

Marques Archie and Mark Hudson of Dragon Spirit Productions Film Combat Syndicate readers who have been with the site within the past year may recall the initial piece I did back in April of 2013 in a talk I had with Georgia-based independent filmmaker Ja-Mel Antoine Booth of Dragon Spirit Productions upon the release of the previous installment of The Chase. It was a pretty noteworthy piece that put Dragon Spirit on my radar as I continued my pursuit of covering the independent scene a little more, and this year, my coverage continues as Dragon Spirit Productions kicks off a new year with new goals and new creations along the way, including their latest test fight project between two of the team’s performers, Mark Hudson and Marques Archie. The two have been with the team since roughly 2005, including Hudson who first discovered the world of independent action since 2004 […]

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John Wusah Saves The Day In The New Shortfilm, VALIANT

Superhero movies are nothing new for people like independent filmmaker, stuntman and actor John Wusah who is serving up a dish full of his own masked heroics for his latest superhero-inspired shortfilm, Valiant. Co-starring Katie Kabili and co-directed by actor Michael Lehr, Valiant is the latest project kicking things off for Wusah in his latest collaboration with 108 Films and cinematic action stunt team Fight Factory. Not much dialogue is heard here, nor is there the usual big budget spectacle or any special effects or wires as Valiant delivers clear, cut and dry martial arts action with a noteworthy, inspiring message wrapped in a little homage to superheroes from all walks of life. The shortfilm also sets another signature example of non-budgeted yet ambitious efforts that carry heavily on the continually creative efforts of a flourishing group of film professionals who very much remain an active lot to look out […]

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[UPDATED] Force Storm Entertainment Reveals New Concept Character Photos And New Campaign Video

Martial artist, actor, producer and scribe Noah S. Felder is currently in the middle of a major project devoted to Star Wars fans and action cinema junkies over at his base of operations with Force Storm Entertainment. As such, with his newest crowdfunder just 24 days before its deadline, the excitement and anticipation continues build as the project has now begun showcasing new promotional artwork and concept photos to showcase a sample of how some of its characters will look, including actors Brendon Huor, actress Mickey Facchinello, actors Gui DaSilva, Jimmy Chhiu and Yoshua Sudarso, and actor, fight choreographer and director Vlad Rimburg. Check out the gallery below, and if you are not yet familar with the project, click HERE to read the initial report, and then visit the official Indiegogo campaign page to learn how you can donate and benefit from your generousity.

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Slovakia Gets Its Own Dope To Rope In The New Shortfilm, NEVER SURRENDER!

You may recall last year that independent filmmaker and stunt impressario Eric Jacobus made serious headway in the film festival circuit with his 2013 shortfilm, Rope-A-Dope, a groundhog-style martial arts comedy that saw a dope take on the challenge of changing what he needed to derail the events that led to him getting knocked unconcious. The shortfilm left such an impression among fans that even action star Scott Adkins retweeted it on Twitter, among other important folks in the world of action. That said, as Jacobus marks fifteen years as founding member of The Stunt People, his work continues to sustain its place as a blueprint for other aspiring action actors and stunt team founders alike, including actor Julius Kmak in the good company of his people representing Slovakian indie film group 3 Media Production with their new shortfilm, Never Surrender. And while it won’t be hard to notice some […]

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Watch Shaun Charney Get His Kicks With A CAPOIERA GIRL!

For the most part, it has been a busy week on my end and work, on top of certain technological impediments have kept me from being able to keep up with a lot of content. So when I decided to kick myself up real quick and head over to independent filmmaker Shaun Charney‘s YouTube platform at Dragon Phoenix Entertainment, I was delighted to see a new little gem he worked on with actress, stuntwoman and friend of Film Combat Syndicate, Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez. In the video, we get to see a minute of some pretty cool Capoiera choreography, accompanied by a few extra minutes of Charney and Gonzalez just having fun like kids, and it’s a must-see for anyone who has ever had a childhood. I spoke to Charney on several subjects regarding the video, including his opinions on Capoiera and other martial arts styles for the screen, and believe […]

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FIGHTR Brings A Match Made In Black-And-Blue Heaven

Are you feeling lonely? Are you in need of that special someone to help you work off some of that stress? Guess what! There’s an app for that, and actor and independent screenfighting action director Darren Holmquist is here to show you how to use it against fellow actress Jennifer Faust in the new test fight shortfilm, FIGHTR – Ultimate Fighting Phone App. Be advised however, as curious as minds can be, this particular app doesn’t exist, but chalk another one up for the independent scene delivering another gem for the masses as Holmquist meets his lovely date, face first! If the names are familiar to you, then you may recall a recent crowdfunder that launched for indie director Frank Hernandez‘s new spirited action revenge drama, Heart. And, in case you are not up to date, Holmquist and Faust are currently attached to the project, with further developments pending as […]

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Virtue Clashes In A Hail Of Ballistic Kung Fu In The New Shortfilm, THE RIVAL REUNION

Daniel Mah launches his assault in ‘The Rival Reunion It’s been about five years since the amazing folks over at Martial Club began their mission, one which involves martial arts, and using cinema as a platform to achieve in sending their message to the observing public. “Our main goal as Martial Club is to preserve the virtues and ethics of traditional Martial Arts in the modern world.”, says founding team member, aspiring martial artist, award-winning tricking impressario and aspiring actor Andy Le. “We believe the true purpose of Martial Arts is often overlooked and we hope to change that. We want to inspire the world through Martial Arts and hopefully see a greater appreciation for the Martial Arts in the modern society.”. This week, the team continues to reverb that very message with a brand new shortfilm this week featuring members Andy Le and Daniel Mah in The Rival Reunion, […]

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Indie Showcase: David "Dax" Bauer Presents MATT YOUNG Vs. ARMAND RABANAL

Six years into pursuing stuntwork and cinematic action as a career goal, independent action director, actor, stuntman and Missourian native David “Dax” Bauer does some pretty amazing work nowadays to showcase his talents between YouTube platforms Thousand Pounds Action Company and Arnhem Productions. Film Combat Syndicate has also had the pleasure of showcasing some of his previous work, including coordinating the 2013 action comedy short, Reverse Mugging with industry stuntwoman and actress Tamiko Brownlee. “I like to see strategy in motion.”, he tells Film Combat Syndicate. “I like storytelling and character creation, and those things are more difficult when a split second hesitation can get you punched in the face. I love being able to see characters being brought to life through their movements and through their choices, and to see how they change and evolve during the course of a fight. I love watching these things happen in fight […]

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A Storm Is Brewing For Noah Fleder’s New Channel, FORCE STORM ENTERTAINMENT!

If you have been tuning into Film Combat Syndicate, chances are you have had the good fortune of coming across some of the best independently made martial arts action short films and test fights to make our way in recent years and months. More importantly, action fans, particularly fans geared toward science fiction might have even caught The Stunt People’s own Eric Jacobus with his crowdpleasing Star Wars Go Pro lightsaber Vader Strikes project. Well, here and now in 2014, the trend continues with different players and a different vision as actor and martial artist Noah Fleder initiates the newest Indiegogo campaign for his own Star Wars fan-driven action channel, Force Storm Entertainment. Fleder briefly spoke to Film Combat Syndicate late last year about his new project as things were still in development at the time. “I grew up as a HUGE Star Wars fan all starting with the ORIGINAL film […]

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Filmmaker And Comic Book Legend Join Forces In The New Kickstarter For GHOST SOURCE ZERO!

Comic book artist and icon Larry Hama and independent filmmaker Mark Cheng are arming up for something big! Acclaimed visual effects artist, multifaceted independent filmmaker and Planet Nerd Rage Productions founder Mark Cheng is hitting the ground running this month with a brand new kickstarter launched to help conceive his latest labor of love, an epic science fiction cyberpunk found-footage-stylized film titled Ghost Source Zero. Designed as an original feature length episodic movie, the story is centered on an elite anti-cyber crimes unit as they chronicle their mission to stave off a brewing android revolution that could threaten mankind’s existence. Sounds fun right? Well, just ask famed comic book creator Larry Hama, best known for all the things fanboys have grown to know and love about comic books and pop culture, with such titles as G.I. Joe, X-Men and much more. As it stands, he is fully backing the project, […]

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UNLUCKY STARS Director Dennis Ruel Thanks Fans With New Footage!

It has been three years since Barrio Brawler co-star, actor, stuntman and multifaceted independent filmmaker Dennis Ruel began his journey into the semi-successfully crowdfunded production and subsequent principal photography of his upcoming feature-length action comedy adventure, Unlucky Stars. And this week, the team behind the long-awaited film has taken to their official Facebook page to officially announce picture lock prior to the final stages of post production before its entry into the film festival circuit later this year. Described as a homage to old school Hong Kong action comedy classics of the past, the film is a longstanding love letter to martial arts action cinema for a new generation of on-looking fans and aspiring performers. The film stars Ruel along with actor Ken Quitugua and will feature action choreography and performances from a wideranging list of some of today’s most prominent rising stars of the martial arts film genre and […]

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LBP Stunts Chicago Reunites Three Of Its Own For Some KUNG FU FIGHT PRACTICE!

Premier action choreography and screenfighting troupe LBP Stunts Chicago makes a triumphant brief return to the foray with three of its own in a brand new fight Kung Fu practice clip directed by LBP mainstay Emmanuel Manzanares, with performances by LBP members, actors and stunt professionals Brendon Huor and Mickey Facchinello. Both performers have extensive experience in acting and stuntwork, in addition to the two last recently appearing opposite each other in action filmmaker Vlad Rimburg’s Donnie Yen-inspired miniseries with Special ID Episode 1: The Mute. The new clip also marks the first time Facchinello and Huor have worked with Manzanares since collaborating with Thousand Pounds Action Company action coordinator and fellow performer Vonzell Carter for a Samurai Champloo-inspired practice fight back in 2011. “It’s always fun to work with them.”, he says of Facchinello and Huor. “We all understand each other, so the process is easy. Plus both Brendon […]

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Three Angry Canadians And Only One Machine Gun! What Do You Do? Watch RIFLE FIGHT PRACTICE And Find Out!

Just after showcasing his most recent action directorial feats with Jonny Caines in The Monkey Vault, independent filmmaker Leo Kei Angelos is back once more with the release of his newest short gem in the form of Rifle Fight Practice. Filmed in the course of two Saturdays, the concept was brought as the team, made up of Eclipse Stunts members, actors DL MacDonald and Alex Chung, and Riot A.C.T.’s own Tyler Williams were coordinating, and Angelos decided to inch up the stakes a little bit. “Leo enjoys having props in his scenes.”, says MacDonald. “We were choreographing a fight and decided that we should be fighting over something… So we placed [the rifle] into the fight.”. During Angelos‘s current stay in Toronto, fans can expect a few more of these gems along the way as he joins fellow performers like MacDonald and the team to continue creating on a day-to-day […]

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Jonny Caines Dominates THE MONKEY VAULT!

Action fans can look forward to what Canadian stunt performer and Team 2X member Jonny Caines has in store for his upcoming reel, in addition to his expected appearance in the crowdfunded action comedy shortfilm, Fist Plus Face, among other things. To add to his visual resumè this week however, folks can now check him out in high-flying fashion in his latest group fight practice performance from independent filmmaker Leo Kei Angelos. The video was filmed at a parkour training facility in Toronto, The Monkey Vault (hence the title) where Caines takes the liberty of showcasing one of several interesting ways one could feature action choreography in a gym designed specifically for dynamic stunt performance, aided by great camerawork from Angelos who is currently in Canada planning some other things as well to kick off the new year. Check out the clip below, also featuring (in order of appearance) Aaron Jones […]

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PeiPei Alena Yuan Unleashes Her Drunken Fury In The New Short, DRAGON LADY

Here’s a fun fact for all you action fans and stunt performers out there who follow martial arts cinema and may even read my blog: Pay close attention to the name Vlad Rimburg from here on out, because he’s going to go places. A veteran purveyor of independent action for well over a decade, Rimburg has developed an impressive resumè over the years as one of the foremost fight choreographers and directors that Hollywood needs to recognize. Hopefully that day will come sooner than we think, with Rimburg coming off of his busiest year in 2013 directing The Hunt series for the Flow YouTube channel, assembling two installments of his Donnie Yen-inspired Special ID miniseries with Mickey Fachinello, Tamiko Brownlee and Tony Chu, editing industry fight choreographer J.J. Perry’s reel which you can view by clicking here, and putting together several other test fight shortfilms between last year and now, […]

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DRAGON BALL FIGHT IN REAL LIFE Sees Goku As…Aladdin?

While there are a few Dragonball-related fan-film efforts being made for the new year to counter some of the disappointments still resonating from the James Wong-directed 2009 film, Dragonball: Evolution, some would argue this latest bit from independent filmmaker and comedy impressario Ryan Higa in Dragon Ball Z Fight In Real Life, may be one the best live-action renditions of Akira Toriyama’s classic Shonen Jump manga publication and anime to date. Hm…I wonder what Disney would think!

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John Wusah Suits Up For Justice In The New Shortfilm Trailer For VALIANT

The official Facebook page for actor and independent filmmaker John Wusah (Mortal Kombat Legacy – Season 2) just published the official trailer for the upcoming shortfilm titled Valiant. Upon collaborating with fight training and indie action film choreography team, Fight Factory 108, the new project came after his in response to his previous work, including his early 2013 action cop short, 245, from fans who wanted to see more from Wusah and his independent film base, Wusah Productions. Wusah, who started out earlier in his life as a professional dancer before growing as a martial artist, stunt performer and coordinator, shared some of his thoughts with Film Combat Syndicate in an earlier discussion regarding some of his hopes he shares and goals he hopes to achieve in the world of film. “Growing up watching Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan, I knew that I too, was capable of it […]

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