The people behind ActionFest2 recently announced it's full lineup and special guests for the upcoming festival that takes place on April 7th - 10th in Asheville, NC.

ActionFest 2 announced its full lineup and competition jury for its returns to the beautiful Carolina Cinema in Asheville this April 7th - 10th, as well as some action film luminaries making special appearances. The only international film festival devoted exclusively to action cinema and its unsung heroes, the festival promises to be four days of adrenaline-fueled pleasure with an exciting combination of the best in contemporary action cinema and classics of the genre, as well as a world class stunt show, exciting panels and tributes to action cinema legends.



As previously announced. ActionFest 2 opens with the World Premiere of Jonathan English’s Ironclad. The closing night film will be Takeshi Miike’s epic samurai masterpiece, 13 Assassins on Sunday April 10th. Additionally, the following films were announced today:



Bail Enforcers — A bounty hunting babe tackles the tough guys in this World Premiere starring seven-time WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus, who will be in attendance!



Never Back Down 2 – World Premiere of this anticipated MMA fight flick, directed by and starring Michael Jai White, who will be in attendance!

Battle Royale – The official US theatrical debut of the popular and controversial Japanese cult classic.

Fightville – Fresh from SXSW, a hard hitting doc about the art and sport of mixed martial arts fighting.

Bellflower – From Sundance and SXSW, this indie gets under the skin of the action genre with a story about two apocalypse-obsessed friends.

Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie – World Premiere Kung Fu documentary based on the book by martial arts cinema expert Ric Meyers

The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch– Regional Premiere of this adaptation of the popular French action-adventure comic book hero

Lonely Place to Die – World Premiere about a group of five mountaineers who find danger while hiking and climbing in the Scottish Highlands.

Tomorrow, When the War Began – North American Premiere of the Australian box office hit flick based on best-selling novel series that pits teenagers against an army invasion.

Previously announced films include: Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier, Hobo With A Shotgun starring Rutger Hauer, James Gunn’s vigilante thriller Super, Bangkok Knockout from the stunt team and filmmakers of Ong Bak, Takeshi Kitano’s Outrage, the surreal fist-and-sword epic Bunraku, and the jungle exploitation doc Machete Maidens Unleashed!

The jury for ActionFest 2 is comprised of:

Jay Deacon – Asheville Radio Personality from 105.9 The Mountain

Katrina Hill – action film blogger (www.actionflickchick.com) and G4TV’s first Next Woman of the Web champion

Tim League – CEO & Founder of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas and Founder, Fantastic Fest

Scott Weinberg – Film critic & editor at Cinematical, FearNet, Horror Squad, Twitch, among other publications.

Russell Towery – Veteran stuntman with over 130 credits to his name (was the man in the Robocop suit in all three films)

This year, ActionFest is pleased to introduce the Action Producer of the Year Award. The inaugural award will go to Sahamongkolfilm, founded by Somsak Techaratanaprasert (also the company’s Chief Executive) over 3 decades ago, for its work producing the incredibly successful Ong Bak trilogy starring Tony Jaa, as well as the upcoming Bangkok Knockout from famed Action Choreographer and Director, Panna Rittikrai. Other notable productions include Born to Fight, Dynamite Warrior and Chocolate.

On Saturday April 9th and Sunday April 10th, there will be two panels: great stories from the legendary careers of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Buddy Joe Hooker and representatives of Stunts Unlimited, and a discussion of the role of the Modern Fight Director, featuring Larnell Stovall (Undisputed III), Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite, Never Back Down 2) and martial arts film expert Ric Meyers (Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie).

Check out www.actionfest.com for more information and be sure to visit the official ActionFest Blog (http://actionfestblog.com/) for details on the “30 Seconds of Action Film Challenge,” a competition where aspiring filmmakers compete to write, direct and produce the best thirty-second action movie.

ActionFest, the only international film festival devoted exclusively to action cinema and its unsung heroes, returns to the beautiful Carolina Cinema in Asheville this April 7th - 10th for its second year. Created by Bill Banowsky (Carolina Cinemas founder and Magnolia Pictures co-founder), famed action director/producer Aaron Norris (Missing in Action III, “Walker, Texas Ranger”), and Magnolia Pictures/Magnet Releasing SVP Tom Quinn, ActionFest will once again showcase the most exciting action films from around the globe, pay tribute to the stuntmen, fight choreographers and 2nd unit directors that make them possible, and give attendees an unparalleled Stunt Show Extravaganza.



ActionFest 2’s Opening Night film on Thursday, April 7th is the World Premiere of Jonathan English’s Ironclad, an epic, blood soaked account of a brutal castle siege starring Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Shoot’em Up), James Purefoy (“Rome,” Solomon Kane), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator), Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity), and Jason Flemyng (Clash of the Titans).



This year’s ActionFest Lifetime Achievement Award will go to legendary stuntman Buddy Joe Hooker, whose career spans six decades and countless classic films, including First Blood. Hooker will receive the award in person on Saturday, April 9, placing him in the rarified company of last year’s recipient, the great Chuck Norris.

“No one honors the men and women who put the action into action films, and it’s about time,” said ActionFest co-founder Aaron Norris. “For me, giving these unsung cinematic heroes the respect and recognition they deserve is the heart of what ActionFest is all about.”

ActionFest 2 will honor 2010’s Machete from director Robert Rodriguez as Action Film of the Year, singling out the talented Russell Towery (Pirates of the Caribbean, Zombieland, Jonah Hex, National Treasure) as Stunt Coordinator of the Year for his impressive work on the film.

Additionally, ActionFest 2 will pay tribute to the 40th anniversary of Stunts Unlimited, an elite organization comprised of Hollywood's A-list stunt performers (including original member Buddy Joe Hooker), which has become one of the most sought after group of action performers. Their work has been seen in a wide array of film and television including Die Hard, Fast & Furious, Mission Impossible 2, Point Break, Rocky, Spiderman and The Terminator.

Undoubtedly one of the top highlights of ActionFest, the Stunt Show Extravaganza will return for ActionFest 2. This year’s show will take place at 2:00PM on Sunday, April 10th in the Caroline Cinema parking lot, and promises to be a thrilling spectacle not to be missed. The show has been made possible by motion picture stunt-business veteran John Cann (Machete, Tango and Cash, Predator 2), President and CEO of Action P.A.C. Stunts, L.L.C., who is creating the show and providing the equipment along with Randy Fife (Robocop, Arlington Road).

ActionFest 2 promises to be four days of adrenaline-fueled pleasure for film buffs, with an exciting combination of the best in contemporary action cinema (including several premieres) and classics of the genre. Confirmed new titles include:

- Little Big Soldier — a new period action film written by and starring Jackie Chan
- Hobo With A Shotgun — the hot Sundance selection starring Rutger Hauer
- Super — vigilante madness starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon and Liv Tyler
- Bangkok Knockout — Thai action from the stunt team and filmmakers of Ong Bak
- Outrage — a gritty and violent new Yakuza thriller from the legendary Takeshi Kitano
- Bunraku — a surreal fist-and-sword epic starring Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Kevin McKid and Ron Perlman
- Machete Maidens Unleashed — the titillating story of 1970s exploitation films from the Philippines

The full lineup will be announced on Monday, March 22nd, including a competition section juried by genre experts from around the country. VIP Badges good for admission to all ActionFest films are now on sale, for one week’s time at a reduced price of $60, down from $100.

Check out www.actionfest.com for more information and be sure to visit the official ActionFest Blog (http://actionfestblog.com/) for details on the “30 Seconds of Action Film Challenge,” a competition where aspiring filmmakers compete to write, direct and produce the best thirty-second action movie.

This April, Asheville, NC will be the home to the inaugural edition of ActionFest, the world’s first film festival devoted exclusively to action cinema, and to the people who make it possible, from filmmakers to stuntmen and fight choreographers. Created by Carolina Cinemas founder/Magnolia Pictures co-founder Bill Banowsky and famed action director and producer Aaron Norris (Missing in Action III, Walker, Texas Ranger), the festival will take place at The Carolina Asheville cinema from Thursday, April 15th to Sunday, April 18th. ActionFest opens with the world premiere of Neil Marshall’s bloody sword and sandal epic, Centurion, and is proud to announce that the recipient of its first annual Lifetime Action Achievement Award will be none other than legendary martial artist and action movie superstar Chuck Norris!

With an impressive roster encompassing the best contemporary action films from around the globe, including several world premieres, major studio previews and classics of the genre (including some of Norris’s most loved titles), ActionFest will be four days of heaven for fans of adrenaline fueled cinema, with a full list of films to be announced on Monday, March 22nd. There will be a competition section juried by genre experts from around the country, including award recipient Chuck Norris. Additionally, stuntman Kinnie Gibson will be on hand for a demonstration of his famous Flying Rocket Belt, a feat of bravery and technology that’s been featured at the Olympics, the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500! Magnolia Pictures/Magnet Releasing SVP Tom Quinn is head programmer for ActionFest, and Matthew Kiernan is festival director.

Centurion, the latest genre masterpiece from cult favorite Neil Marshall (The Descent), will have its world premiere at ActionFest on Thursday, April 15th. Based on the legendary battle between Rome’s famed Ninth Legion and ferocious Picts of Northern England in 117 AD, Centurion stars Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, 300, Hunger), Dominic West (300; HBO’s The Wire) and gorgeous Bond-girl Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Hitman). Recently acquired by Magnet Releasing, Centurion will open in theaters nationwide this summer.

Chuck Norris will receive the Lifetime Action Achievement Award in person on Sunday, April 18. Best known for the hit CBS-TV series, Walker, Texas Ranger, and over 30 action films, including such genre classics as Return of the Dragon, the Missing in Action and Delta Force films, and Code of Silence, Norris is also a best-selling author and weekly columnist for WorldNetDaily and Creators Syndicate. Next to his family, he feels his greatest accomplishment is the KickStart Kids, a foundation that he conceived in 1992 that’s committed to helping inner city kids by building strong moral character through the Martial Arts. Taught in middle schools, over 63,000 kids have graduated from the program since its inception, most of them going on to college and becoming successful in their own right. KickStart Kids currently has over 6,500 students in the program. In honor of Norris’s appearance at ActionFest, all profits of this year’s festival will be donated to the Kickstart Kids Foundation.

“A festival like this one is long overdue,” said co-founder Aaron Norris. “ActionFest will cover the full gamut of what defines the genre and will pay appropriate respect to the artists who create great action films: the actors, directors, producers, stuntmen, stunt coordinators, and fight choreographers.”

“Aaron and I are very pleased to bring ActionFest to life,” said co-founder Bill Banowsky. “The festival will benefit Asheville, it will benefit fans of the genre, and most importantly, it will benefit worthy causes like Kickstart Kids. And who better for the world’s first action-oriented festival to honor than the iconic Chuck Norris, whose presence at this year’s festival will ensure its success.”

“I set out to do something only when I know it’s going to be done right. And I know that’s how Bill and Aaron have approached ActionFest,” said Chuck Norris. “I am honored and privileged to receive an award from ActionFest and to be part of the creation of the first action film festival, one which has been founded in the spirit of giving.”

ActionFest’s home is beautiful Asheville, NC, voted “America's Top 25 Arts Destinations” by American Style magazine and the “New Freak Capital of the U.S.” by Rolling Stone magazine. The fest will be held exclusively at The Carolina Asheville, part of the Carolina Cinemas chain founded by Banowsky, former CEO of Landmark Theaters. The newly renovated theater features 14 screens with state-of-the-art digital and 35mm projection, plush seating, a bar stocked with over 15 local beers on tap, and sofas and loveseats in four of the auditoriums. The Carolina Asheville has reinvented the movie-going experience in Asheville and has become the most talked-about theater in Western North Carolina in less than one year of existence.

Tickets for ActionFest will go on sale in early April; individual show tickets are $10, while festival badges purchased before April 1, 2010 will be $65. Tickets can be purchased at www.actionfest.com. Follow ActionFest on Twitter at @actionfest.