The Fighting Spirit Film Festival

The Fighting Spirit Film Festival is one of the only festivals in the world given over to martial arts and action cinema. It began in July 2016 and runs in London — at the Rio Cinema in Dalston — and in Birmingham. Through martial arts cinema, the organisers say, they “aim to entertain and inspire people, promote martial arts culture, and recognise, connect, and support those who have chosen it as a career”.

Features and shorts screen in and out of competition, from UK premieres of new action films to restored classics of the genre, and the weekend makes room for the craft behind them too: Q&As with filmmakers and stunt performers, seminars on action filmmaking, demonstrations from martial arts clubs, and an awards ceremony to finish.