If you’re at all keen on the festival scene in the last several years, then you may have gotten wind of Malaysian action thriller Geran (a.k.a. Silat Warriors: Deed Of Death). The movie premiered at the 19th New York Asian Film Festival where it earned its debutant director Areel Abu Bakar the Daniel A. Craft Award For Excellence In Action Cinema, before Well Go USA swooped in for its commercial release of the pic, and Bakar himself has gone on to direct a few more titles since then.
For this, we turn to Walid (meaning “father” in Arabic), a new action adventure with Bakar back in full bloom with his Silat action team for a story that permeates the harrowing subject of child trafficking. Actor Megat Sharizal, billed as Malaysia’s own Sammo Hung, leads the cast for the story of a kind and dedicated teacher who takes matters into his own hands when the underprivileged children for whom he volunteers at the village school go missing.
Walid will launch in Malay cinemas on September 14. In the meantime, Outsider Pictures has acquired Walid for a limited U.S. screening series in New York (at Cinema Village from July 28 through August 3), and Los Angeles (at Laemmle Glendale from August 11 through August 17). What’s more is Bakar and Sharizal will be in attendance at at these events.
The first official long teaser emerged last October which you can view below, along with a more recent short promo just beneath, and both assets invoke another promising martial arts action feat from the NYAFF laureate. If you’re available during either week to meet some international trailblazers making headway, set the dates on your calendars and get your tickets accordingly.
