ActionFest 2011 Awards!

ActionFest 2011 has officially come to an end. This was only the second year of the Asheville film festival but it brought forth some great action movies and guests! Every year the festival gives out action awards to recognize the films that are forgotten by the rest of the award ceremonies. Five jury members were selected (I was one of the lucky ones) to deliberate and decide which films would win which award. Five films were in the running for awards: Ironclad, Never Back Down 2, Tomorrow, When the War Began, A Lonely Place to Die, and Bangkok Knockout.

And the winners are…

Best Fight Scene: Bangkok Knockout for the final battle scene, which has, like, a zillion dudes in a massive brawl.
Best Action Sequence: Tomorrow, When the War Began for a night-time car chase where two dune buggies are chasing down our heroes, who are trying to escape in a garbage truck.
Best Director: Julian Gilbey, A Lonely Place to Die.
Best Movie: A Lonely Place to Die.

ActionFest held a contest called “30 Seconds of Action” where anyone could send in a video with…you guessed it, 30 seconds of action. After much deliberation the jury chose “Action Figures.”

The festival directors gave out Stunt Coordinator of the Year to Russell Towery who has worked on films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Zombieland, Jonah Hex, National Treasure. Towery was specifically honored for his work in Machete.

Last year’s ActionFest Lifetime Achievement Award went to Chuck Norris, who immediately turned around and gave it to his brother, Aaron Norris (co-founder of ActionFest), who doubled for Chuck. This year the award goes to Buddy Joe Hooker! He started on screen at the age of six in Rin Tin Tin. He then appeared a few non-stunt roles before getting into the action for films such as Blazing Saddles, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, First Blood, The Outsiders, The Right Stuff, Scarface, and To Live and Die In LA! That’s not everything, but that right there is a hell of a resume.

Congratulations, Buddy Joe Hooker! You’ve definitely earned the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congrats to all the winners! Reviews of all the ActionFest films are coming up so check back for which films are worth seeing.

This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!