It’s been about a year since writer/director John Balazs launched the teaser for his newest action-packed shortfilm endeavor, Black Site. The project reteams him with the usual crew over at his Prima Lux Films label and actor/exec producer Matt Theo who also starred in Balazs’s 2021 feature debut, Rage.
Credit: Prima Lux Films
Trigger Warning: This review discusses rape, sexual assault and violent crime.
The past few years have been some of the most eventful for director John Balazs who just swept this year’s Action On Film Megafest in five categories, including Best Breakout Action Performer of the Year for actress Adele Elasmar. Nowadays you’ll also find him toiling away at post production on his latest dark new crime drama, Rage, with Melbourne-based La Rosa Productions joining in as producer on the new film following a deal officiated earlier this week.
Six years in and with dozens of short film awards and nominations under his belt with hit entries like Dancer and the action-packed Night Shift, John Balazs and his Melbourne based Prima Lux banner are readying to roll out the red carpet for upcoming crime drama, Rage.
On Wednesday this week, director John Balazs announced his prospective 2019 production slate – the second of which now lists as Night Of The Ninja. There’s no logline as the script is in early stages, although according to Balazs, the gist of the story will center on an everyman whose blood oath obligates him to carry out clandestine mission per his secret life as a ninja.
Aussie director John Balazs‘ work in the past year and change have been all but some of the best I’ve scene on the shortfilm circuit. The goal, as always however, has been to grow into bigger projects and as of March next year, he plans on doing just that with the new independent thriller, Rage, which has up-and-comimg Matt Theo set to star from a script by Michael J. Kospiah.
One of the biggest treats I had was getting to see filmmaker John Balazs’ progression partly on social media for his most recent shortfilm, Night Shift. The second I spotted a fight demo he filmed with stunt performer and action actress Zia Kelly and lead actress Adele Elasmar earlier this year, I was instantly sold on its potential for greatness.
The next several months should be an interesting turn of events for filmmaker John Balazs. His last shortfilm, Dancer, was a tremendous milestone for his production banner, Prima Lux, and though it proved to be taxing, needless to say, the choice to go forth into another venture wasn’t as challenging.
Crowdfunding for an inspired project of any kind is likely going to be a difficult hurdle to leap these days. Filmmaker John Balazs is considerably one of the more fortunate ones – having attained what he needed by other mutual means to fulfill what he wanted with his latest filmic venture, Night Shift, and as far as proof of concepts go, audiences are more than welcome to let their imaginations run wild some.
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