Tiffany Narron (dog), Colin Geddes and Ian Caldwell (gorilla) are all dressed up with somewhere to go. Action Fest opens tonight for a 4-day run in Asheville, N.C.
Jonathan Rich (ninja) and Ian Caldwell create a ruckus in Asheville while promoting Action Fest.
Colin Geddes (with sign) and Tiffany Narron spent time demonstrating their passion for the action film festival this weekend.
The square in downtown Asheville is a meeting place for all walks of life.
Since 2010, Asheville, N.C., has hosted this festival showcasing the best in American and International action and celebrating the history of the genre. Co-founded by Aaron Norris (Chuck’s brother), Bill Banowsky (owner of the Carolina Asheville cinemas), educator Dennis Berman, and industry professional Tom Quinn, it also pays tribute to brave stuntmen, stuntwomen and 2nd unit directors.
Opening night is at the Diana Wortham Theatre, closing night is at the historic Fine Arts Theatre, and everything in between is at the Carolina Cinemas. The festival opens with the regional premiere of Solomon Kane and ends with Wu Xia, with almost two dozen other movies including Seann William Scott’s Goon and Tom Berenger’s Saints and Sinners. As well, legendary stuntman Mickey Gilbert (Ben Hur, The Wild Bunch) will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, pioneer in women's MMA and Haywire star Gina Carano with the Chick Norris (Best Female Action Star) Award, and J.J. Perry (Warrior, Haywire) with the ActionFest Fight Choreographer of the Year Award.
I met Festival Director Colin Geddes last weekend to get the inside scoop on the event. Colin Geddes, according to Action Fest’s bio, is a Toronto-based film archivist, curator, writer and consultant. Since 1997 he has been an international programmer and host of such festivals as Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival, Fantasia, Toronto After Dark, the Asian rep theatre Golden Classics Cinema, Cinematheque Ontario, Reel Asian Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, and has served on the juries of several international film festivals.
We met at Pack’s Tavern, a popular local hangout in Pack Square Park. The bar is prohibition era cool, and has the appropriate attitude for the festivities. Colin wore a red Action Fest T-shirt complementing his curly red hair and beard. He obviously loves his work, but is a busy man that checks his phone often. We sat down with 3 of his 30 volunteers; a giant dog, gorilla, and a ‘80s style mobster wearing a track seat. They were Tiffany Narron, Ian Caldwell, and Leah Quintal, of JB Media Group, the company handling public relations for the festival. They told me about the “camaraderie and insanity” of Action Fest while Colin ran off after a phone call, and how Asheville is the perfect place for that showcase. Local comic book stores have gotten involved, and Asheville Pizza and Brewing has created ActionFest Ale, “a light, yet full-bodied pale ale,” according to www.actionfest.com, “that refreshes after a long day of Action.”
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