The inaugural London Action Festival (July 28-31) will open with a screening of “Die Hard,” with director John McTiernan and other guests in attendance at a Q&A. McTiernan’s “Predator” will also screen at the festival.
Visual effects in “Jurassic World: Dominion” will be explored via a masterclass from senior visualization supervisor Pawl Fulker, partner and creative director, Proof London Ltd and Dave Vickery, visual effects supervisor, ILM, with the involvement of director Colin Trevorrow. This panel event is presented by Proof Inc. who celebrate their 20th anniversary this year.
With the support of “Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughan’s U.K. studio MARV, the festival will screen exclusive footage from their new action movie “School Fight,” marking the debut of stunt coordinator Damien Walters as director. Walters will deliver a masterclass on making the leap from stunt professional to director and cast members Greg Townley and Bobby Holland Hanton, highly regarded stunt professionals in their own right, also join the panel.
Picturehouse Central will be home to the festival over its main weekend with additional events taking place at other major venues in Central London. These include Friday Night Showdown, at the Royal Geographical Society, combining panel events, comedy, music, and guests of honor, celebrating all things “Action”; Write Club, featuring leading writers in the industry who lay the blueprint for any action movie or TV show in the form of the script; and Punch Above Your Weight – How To Make Your First Action Masterpiece, on how to make high octane action movies on a budget.
Julian Alcantara, festival co-director and founder, said: “We will be celebrating the skills and talent of those who bring action movies and TV to life. We see the festival as a way of showing far greater appreciation for those whose incredible work and achievements are rarely recognized come awards season, particularly in the areas of stunts and action design.”
Ron Fogelman, festival co-director and founder, added: “This is going to be an exciting, fun and inspiring experience for audiences who love all things action. The very filmmaking that powers global entertainment deserves this level of attention and respect.”
Information news service Den of Geek is the senior media sponsor for the event.
Den of Geek CEO Jennifer Bartner-Indeck said: “Our ethos at Den of Geek is ‘By Experts, For Fans’ and that’s shared with the London Action Festival team. We’re looking forward to being associated with this long overdue celebration of the skills, creativity, talent, and bravery required to create the world’s most exciting content across film and TV.”
Broadcaster, critic and programmer Ashanti Omkar serves as the festival’s cultural curator.
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