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ActionFest, the world's first film festival for action films announces inaugural edition in Asheville, NC this April 15-18, 2010.

Festival opens with world premiere of Neil Marshall's CENTURION on April 15. Action film legend Chuck Norris to accept Lifetime Achievement Award at ActionFest on April 18.

ActionFest is sponsored by:

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ActionFest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Contact: Matt Cowal mc@actionfest.com

ACTIONFEST Announces There's a New Sheriff in Town:
Colin Geddes hired as Festival Director
2nd Annual Festival to be held April 7-10, 2011

Cannes - May 13th, 2010 ActionFest, the first and only festival devoted exclusively to championing the action genre, announced today that Colin Geddes, programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival best known for curating the popular Midnight Madness selection, will be taking the post of Festival Director. The position is effective immediately in preparation for next year's ActionFest, April 7th-10th, 2011, to be held once again in Asheville, NC.

Geddes, a longtime fixture on the festival circuit, is a wide ranging mix of fan-boy talents: launched his own monthly curated series of action films, Kung Fu Fridays; amassed one of the largest private Asian collections of 35MM prints (recently donated to U of Toronto); published Asian Eye, the first North American zine dedicated exclusively to Hong Kong cinema Asian Eye; runs a successful alternative Canadian distribution arm, Ultra 8 Pictures; and is solely responsible for introducing superstar Tony Jaa to North America, securing the TIFF World Premiere of ONG BAK.

ActionFest founders Bill Banowsky and Aaron Norris both commented, "Colin Geddes is exactly the kind of passionate and experienced individual we need to take ActionFest to the next level. Our long term goal is to reinvent the film festival model and to evolve this festival and the ActionFest brand into all facets of action oriented content production and distribution."

Colin Geddes proclaims "I'm thrilled to be joining the ActionFest team and to explore the wide reaching definition of action in cinema. Our plan for next year is to knock people's notions of what film festivals are right off their shoulders with a cinematic roundhouse kick, and then blow them up for good measure."

The inaugural edition of ActionFest, launched earlier this year in April, was a resounding success. The LA Times called it "a touch of Cannes, a touch of monster-truck rally." The festival showcased 25 films from all over the world and enjoyed appearances from international superstar Chuck Norris, and multiple mind-blowing live demonstrations from Kinnie "The Rocketman" Gibson. Other events included a historic panel of some of Hollywood's greatest stunt heroes, and the first ever Awards show dedicated to Action, dubbed the Action Oscars.

Geddes will report directly to Tom Quinn, one of the creators and Executive Director of ActionFest. Geddes will continue his programming duties at TIFF.

About ActionFest
ActionFest was founded by Bill Banowsky, Aaron Norris and Dennis Berman. Tom Quinn is one of the creators and Executive Director of ActionFest. For more information about ActionFest please follow us on twitter @actionfest, Facebook, or at www.actionfest.com.

About Colin Geddes
Colin Geddes is a Toronto-based film archivist, curator, writer and consultant, and since 1997 is well known for his role as one of the international programmers and hosts of Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival. At TIFF he has introduced new talent and hosted the premieres of films including Miike Takashi's Ichi The Killer; Johnnie To's Full Time Killer; Eli Roth's Cabin Fever and Hostel; Wilson Yip's SPL (Kill Zone) starring Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung and Pratchya Pinkaew's Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. In addition, Geddes has one of North America's largest collections of Hong Kong cinema promotional materials, posters, and lobby cards and in July 2008, held an exhibit of fifty posters from the collection at the Cinematheque Quebecoise.

Geddes' additional programming and festival affiliations include 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.

Bill Banowsky, Eamonn Bowles and Aaron Norris enjoying ActionFest opening party

Trent McDevitt and Festival Programmer Tom Quinn introducing opening night film, "Centurion"

Rocketman takesoff at ActionFest!

Aaron Norris demonstrates his little known Malaysian Bear Hug Hold!

MARKO ZAROR IS COMING TO ACTIONFEST!

He is known as "The Latin Dragon", the only martial arts sensation from Chile and winner of the 2004 World Stunt Awards for his work on THE RUNDOWN (where he doubled The Rock). You might have seen his film KILTRO and MIRAGEMAN (both distributed by Magnolia Pictures), and now you'll have an opportunity to see him twice in one weekend as Marko Zaror hits ActionFest in not one, but two new films! In MANDRILL, he's a suave hitman out to avenge the murder of his parents, while in UNDISPUTED III: REDEMPTION he puts on the villain's hat as the main antagonist to Scott Adkins in this latest chapter in the UNDISPUTED series.

Marko Zaror is not only one of the most impressive martial artists in movies today (his signature spin kicks have astonished audiences everywhere), but he's also a heck of a nice guy who is extremely kind, gracious and happy to meet his fans. He's bound to get a hell of a lot of new ones after this week is finished, but don't just take our word for it, check him out in MANDRILL and UNDISPUTED III: REDEMPTION here at ActionFest. Marko will be doing Q&A's after both films, so don't miss your opportunity to see the future of action films before everyone else does!

MANDRILL
Friday, April 16 - 7:30pm
Sunday, April 18 - 2:30pm

UNDISPUTED III: REDEMPTION
Saturday, April 17 - 10pm
Sunday, April 18 - 12:15pm

MELISSA AUF DER MAUR GOES OUT OF HER MIND AT ACTIONFEST

Easily one of the most interesting things in our programming this year is OOOM (or OUT OF OUR MINDS) a new collaboration from filmmaker Tony Stone and Melissa Auf Der Maur, former bassist for the band Hole. Though only 28 minutes long (don't worry, we're padding it out) it's a stunning action piece that combines Stone's amazing visual sense with Auf Der Maur's outstanding music from her new album (her first in six years). OOOM really is one of those things that are better seen than described (because it's hard to describe), but we're very psyched to screen it and to give everyone a taste, here's Auf Der Maur's latest video for the title track to the film and her album, "Out of Our Minds". Enjoy!

ACTIONFEST HOLLYWOOD STUNT SHOW!

Coming Saturday, April 17, ActionFest is bringing something new and utterly incredible to Asheville ActionFest Hollywood Stunt Show, taking place live in the parking lot of the Carolina Cinemas in Asheville at 3pm. Leading it off will be the previously announced Kinnie "The Rocket Man" Gibson, who will fly over the crowd in his amazing rocket pack (recently seen on the hit CBS show "NCIS"). Kinnie and his team have traveled all over the world astounding people with their Rocket Belt (one of only 3 in existence), everywhere from the Super Bowl, the Tournament of Roses parade and even the 1984 Olympics, and now it's coming to Asheville to blow you away! The Rocket Man will also be seen at Thursday night's Asheville Tourist's game at McCormick Field, so don't miss your chance to see one of the most action-packed events your eyes will ever witness!

If that's not enough, The Rocket Man will be followed by an amazing stunt show featuring such top Hollwyood stuntmen as Jan Michael Shultz (THE BLUE BROTHERS); Mark De Alessandro (Sylvester Stallone's stunt double); John Cann (MACHETE); Randy Fife (THE ALAMO); Trevor Habberstad (THE LAST AIRBENDER) and his father, Jeff Habberstad. These brave men will demonstrate some of the most dangerous stunts around, including high falls, fire burns, air rams (catapults that shoot stuntmen into the air); reappelling (gunshots); fight demonstrations and even sky diving! Asheville has never seen anything like this before and once we're through with it they probably won't let us do this again, so make sure you're at the Carolina Cinemas Asheville at 1640 Hendersonville Rd. on Saturday, April 17 at 3pm and prepare to have the wind knocked out of you and then ask for more! Also featured will be the Ho Sin Sool Dojang martial arts school in Horse Show, NC. This event is all-ages and will be totally free.

Click here to read more!

LETTER FROM MAYOR BELLAMY ABOUT ACTIONFEST!

Click here to read a letter from Mayor Terry Bellamy about ActionFest!

COMEDIAN DEAN EDWARDS TALKS ACTIONFEST!

Some of you may remember Dean Edwards as a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" or from his killer Denzel Washington impersonation (which will probably put his kids through college). Dean also loves action movies, and when New York-based filmmaker Alex Kuciw asked him to wax nostalgic about some of his favorite action films, he got this hilarious bumper that you can see before some of this year's ActionFest features. Take it away, Dean:

Thanks again to Alex and Dean for putting this together. Great work, guys!

THE DOUBLETREE BILTMORE HOTEL, OFFICIAL HOTEL OF ACTIONFEST,
NOW OFFERING SPECIAL RATES!

If you're coming in from out of the Asheville area to attend ActionFest, you might be looking for a place to stay. We're pleased to be partnering with one of Asheville's finest hotels for the festival and they're offering a special rate for festival attendees. From now until April 6, The Doubletree Biltmore Hotel (115 Hendersonville Road in Asheville) is offering two price specials: Standard rooms at $99 a night and premium rooms at $124 a night. These represent big savings for these rooms, and trust us when we tell you that the Doubletree is a really, really nice hotel. It's also conveniently located just a few minutes down the road from the theater and is close to Asheville's downtown area and the famed Biltmore Estates. CLICK HERE for special rates and thank us later.

CLOSING NIGHT CEREMONY TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

ActionFest will wrap up its inaugural edition with a killer party on Sunday, April 18, featuring Chuck Norris and Asheville's own The Reigning Sound! Be there to see Chuck Norris get his Lifetime Achievement award, followed by the amazing rock 'n' roll of The Reigning Sound at The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. In addition to all this, we'll have the winners of the first-ever game of "Chuckeoke" and we'll bestow our 2010 movie awards, too. Tickets for this event are $25 and are on sale now at The Orange Peel's website. CLICK HERE for tickets

NEW ACTIONFEST TV SPOTS!

Our good friends at Post Asylum in Dallas put together some awesome spots for this year's festival, and we'd like to share this one with you. This is EXACTLY what we're all about!

Inaugural ActionFest Announces 25 Films

ACTIONFEST BADGES NOW ON SALE!

ActionFest is now offering three distinct badges for sale that offer attendees the opportunity to experience ActionFest on three different levels: Chuck Norris fanatic; movie fanatic; or Chuck Norris fanatic AND movie fanatic. They are:

ACTIONFEST VIP BADGE
$100.00 (Limited Availability Due To Seating) Your VIP Badge is your all-access pass to ActionFest events including:

Admission to all ActionFest films*
The Stunts of Chuck Norris panel discussion (Sun., April 18, 5:00 p.m. @ Carolina Cinemas)
ActionFest Closing Night Party and Award Ceremony (Sun, April 18, 9:30 p.m. @ The Orange Peel)
Live music by Reigning Sound

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

ACTION BADGE
$40.00 (Limited Availability Due To Seating) Your Action Badge gets you in to exclusive ActionFest events including:

The Stunts of Chuck Norris panel discussion (Sun., April 18, 5:00 p.m. @ Carolina Cinemas)
ActionFest Closing Night Party and Award Ceremony (Sun, April 18, 9:30 p.m. @ The Orange Peel)
Live music by Reigning Sound

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

ACTIONFEST FILM BADGE
$65.00 Your Film Badge is your pass to every ActionFest film*, including the opening night premiere of CENTURION and special screenings of classic Chuck Norris films.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

*Admission to films is on a first come, first serve basis until theater reaches full capacity. Every ActionFest movie will have two screening times. VIP and Film Badge holders will seat before single show ticket holders.

Badge holders also get exclusive access to the Carolina's Cinema Lounge throughout ActionFest!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 25, 2010

Contact: Janice Roland / Steve Beeman

Asheville's ACTIONFEST Announces First Wave of Titles

Asheville, NC - March 25, 2010 ActionFest, the first film festival devoted exclusively to action films, announced 25 films today that will be featured in its inaugural edition, set for Thursday, April 15 through Sunday, April 18, at the Carolina Cinemas in Asheville, NC. The films announced include 3 world premieres, 3 North American premieres, 2 U.S. premieres and 9 regional premieres, including special retrospectives and rare theatrical screenings of two of Chuck Norris' classics, CODE OF SILENCE and BRADDOCK: MISSING IN ACTION III, which will be introduced in person by Chuck Norris and Aaron Norris, the director of BRADDOCK and stunt coordinator for CODE OF SILENCE. Neil Marshall's CENTURION will open the festival on Thursday, April 15th.

ActionFest head of programming Tom Quinn states, "It's not every day you get to put together a lineup of nothing but great action movies, and I relished the opportunity. These films are such a blast, and I'm pleased to say we've received nothing but support from all of the filmmakers and distributors we've approached. There is no question that ActionFest is going to tear the house up this year."

The festival is also pleased to announce the closing night event honoring action superstar Chuck Norris with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments in the field of action cinema. This event will take place at The Orange Peel, Asheville's preeminent concert venue, on Sunday, April 18, at 9:30 p.m., with tickets going on sale, Thursday, March 25, at noon EST at The Orange Peel's website. As previously reported, all of ActionFest 2010's profits will go to Kickstart Kids, Chuck and Gena Norris' charitable foundation whose goal is to build strong moral character through martial arts training. Kickstart Kids works with over 6,000 high-risk middle school students as part of a daily school curriculum, and has graduated over 60,000 students since its inception in 1992. For more information, go to www.kick-start.org.

"I'm excited to be part of the inaugural ActionFest," said Chuck Norris. "I'm proud to be a part of a film festival that honors and recognizes the people who put the action in action films. I can't wait to get to Asheville."

Joining Chuck Norris in Asheville will be veteran stunt coordinator/2nd unit directors Jeff Habberstad, Kinnie Gibson, and Paul Weston, all three of whom will participate in panel discussions and be honored at the closing night ceremony. Longtime veterans of the action film industry, these three have wracked up credits that read like a who's who of action films. Weston has served as Stunt Coordinator on THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and LICENSE TO KILL, in addition to such films as ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THEIVES and ALIENS; Habberstad is one of the industry's most in-demand stunt coordinators, serving in that capacity on all of M. Night Shymalan's films and serving as 2nd unit director on SPIDER-MAN, THERE WILL BE BLOOD and the upcoming THE LAST AIRBENDER; Gibson was Chuck Norris' stunt double for the nine year run of WALKER, TEXAS RANGER, as well as on many of Chuck Norris' feature films. All three will be on hand for the panel THE ART OF 2nd UNIT at ActionFest on Saturday, April 17.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, Chuck Norris and his fellow jury members will announce their picks for the festival's top jury prize. Joining Mr. Norris on the jury are some of the more respected online film critics and festival programmers working today: Colin Geddes, head of programming for Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival; Todd Brown, founder and editor of Twitchfilm.net; Drew McWeeney, screenwriter and chief film writer for HitFix.com; and Devin Faraci, chief film critic for CHUD.com.

Following the awards ceremony, ActionFest will close with Asheville's own, The Reigning Sound. The Reigning Sound is one of the more exciting rock 'n roll bands today, and its latest CD, "Love & Curses," was named the #1 album of 2009 by several music critics..

A complete schedule will be made available on Monday, April 5th, along with additional information about purchasing tickets.

ACTIONFEST 2010 FILMS WILL INCLUDE:

WORLD PREMIERES

OPERATION: ENDGAME (World Premiere) - Zack Galifanakis, Rob Corddry, Ving Rhames, and Emile De Raven star in this new comedy thriller about two teams of assassins locked in an underground facility, each out to discover who murdered their boss before they're all offed. (Courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment)

THE STRANGER (World Premiere) - "Stone Cold" Steve Austin stars as an FBI agent out to find a material witness to a top-secret investigation. (Courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment)

UNDISPUTED III: REDEMPTION (World Premiere) - Modern martial arts masters Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror (MANDRILL) square off in this third chapter of the popular prison boxing series, as champion fighter Uri Boyka (Adkins) is transferred to a Ukraine prison to fight in the first prison fighting tournament, where the winner is granted freedom and the loser... death!

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERES

14 BLADES (North American Premiere) - During the Ming Dynasty, a secret agent of the emperor's court is betrayed and then hunted down by his former colleagues. Starring martial arts legends Donnie Yen (IP MAN) and Sammo Hung (DRAGONS FOREVER), 14 BLADES was recently nominated for "Best Action Choreography" at the 2010 Hong Kong Film Awards.

BESOURO (North American Premiere) - An official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival, BESURO is the emotional true story of the legendary capoeira fighter from Bahia, who was rumored to fly and leads an uprising of slaves to gain their freedom.

RAGING PHOENIX (North American Premiere) - CHOCOLATE's JeeJa Yanin returns to fight off a vicious band of kidnappers with the help of a new form of Muay Thai that combines martial arts and hip hop dance moves!

U.S. PREMIERES

POWER KIDS (U.S. Premiere) - When their best friend is in need of a heart transplant, a plucky group of kids band together against a group of terrorists who have seized the hospital moments before their friend's surgery. This outrageously fun martial arts adventure was produced by the same team behind ONG BAK and THE PROTECTOR.

VENGEANCE (U.S. Premiere) - Legendary Hong Kong action master Johnnie To teams up with legendary French singer Johnny Halliday for this stylish gunplay drama about a former hitman turned chef who travels to Macau to find the men who murdered his daughter's family. (Courtesy of IFC Films)

REGIONAL PREMIERES

DIRTY MIND (Regional Premiere) - From director Pieter Van Hess (LEFT BANK), DIRTY MIND tells the story of a meek and mild technician who suffers an injury on a film set and emerges as the suave and fearless "Tony T", who sets out to become a legendary stuntman in an effort to escape his loser past.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD (Regional Premiere) - South Korea's smash hit finally hits the U.S.! A South Korean western inspired by Sergio Leone's classic THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY, WEIRD stars Song Kang-Ho (THE HOST) as one of a group of desperate gunslingers in 1930's Manchuria after a priceless treasure map. (Courtesy of IFC Films)

HARRY BROWN (Regional Premiere) Two-time Academy Award-winner Michael Caine returns to the action milieu of his legendary film GET CARTER as Harry Brown, a widowed and retired military man looking to live out the rest of his days in peace, but forced to take up arms again when his only friend is murdered by a local gang. (Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films)

MANDRILL (Regional Premiere) - Chilean martial arts star Marko Zaror (KILTRO; MIRAGEMAN) returns to the screen as the tough-as-nails hitman Mandrill, whose latest contract finally leads him to the man responsible for the murder of his parents.

MERANTAU (Regional Premiere) - Yuda, a young man from the Indonesian countryside must undergo Merantau, a traditional rite into manhood where he must leave home and find his place in the world. But upon his arrival in Jakarta he finds himself thrust into the world of human slave trading, with only his Silat skills to help him survive.

OUT OF OUR MINDS (Regional Premiere) - A special presentation of the new short film from acclaimed director Tony Stone (SEVERED WAYS: THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA) in collaboration with singer and guitarist Melissa Auf Der Maur (formerly of Hole). A fantasy world spawned from sound. Three time periods and three narratives, one connection-blood. At the center of this life force is the heart.

THE SQARE (Regional Premiere) - Named one of the 10 best films of 2009 by Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, this acclaimed Australian thriller tells the story of a man trapped in a loveless marriage who carries on an affair with a mysterious woman with a dangerous husband. (Courtesy of Apparition)

TUCKER & DALE vs EVIL (Regional Premiere) - ActionFest livens things up with comedy, action and horror, as two country bumpkins are mistaken for serial killers by a group of clueless college kids in this midnight smash hit of the Sundance and SXSW film festivals.

VALHALLA RISING (Regional Premiere) - BRONSON director Nicholas Winding Refn teams with CASINO ROYALE star Mads Mikkelsen for this historical epic about Norse warriors in the year 1000 A.D. (Courtesy of IFC Films)

Special Retrospectives

BORN TO FIGHT (2004) - Panna Rittikrai, martial arts choreographer of Tony Jaa's ONG BAK films, directed this insanely fun stunt extravaganza about a small village overtaken by terrorists that fights back in spectacular style. This rare U.S. theatrical screening is part of ActionFest's Shomongkolfilm Retrospective (Courtesy of Dragon Dynasty)

GOLDEN BLADE III: RETURN OF THE MONEKY'S UNCLE - The only martial arts extravaganza shot entirely on location in Asheville, NC, GOLDEN BLADE III is an affectionate spoof of the classic Shaw Brothers films of the 1970s, right down to the cheap FX and bad dubbing. This special midnight screening will be accompanied by a live audio commentary from director TJ Wiedow and members of the cast & crew.

WAKE IN FRIGHT (a.k.a. OUTBACK - 1971) - Once deemed a "lost" film, Ted Kotcheff's gripping 1971 thriller about a mild-mannered school teacher's crazed weekend in the Australian outback, has recently been restored and is now considered one of the greatest Australian films of all time.

Chuck Norris Retrospective

CODE OF SILENCE (1985) - Chuck Norris' most critically acclaimed film cast him as Chicago cop Eddie Cusack, who battles mobsters and corrupt cops in this outstanding police thriller from director Andrew Davis (THE FUGITIVE)

BRADDOCK: MISSING IN ACTION III - Chuck Norris teams with brother Aaron Norris (co-founder of ActionFest) for the third film in the MISSING IN ACTION series, where Col. James Braddock goes back to Vietnam to rescue his Amer-Asian son in this little-seen sequel, Chuck's personal favorite of the series.

ActionFest will be held exclusively at The Carolina Asheville, part of the Carolina Cinemas chain. The Doubletree Biltmore Hotel is the official hotel for ActionFest. ActionFest sponsors include Epix; HD Net; Cheerwine; Coca-Cola; Universal Cinema Services; The Mountain Xpress; HitFix.com; Asheville Radio Group; Twelve Bones Smokehouse, The Grove Park Inn and The Brookstone Lodge.

Badges for ActionFest will go on sale at 12pm EST on Friday, March 25, 2010. Badges will include a Film Badge for $65 ($75 after April 1), that allows badge holders access to all features (seating permitted); The Action Badge gets badge holders into all panel discussions and the Closing Night Ceremonies, while the All-Access VIP badge gets badge holders into all events. These badges are $100. All profits of the festival go to Kickstart Kids.

Individual show tickets will go on sale in early April. The complete schedule (with additional titles) will be announced on Monday, April 5.

Tickets can be purchased at www.actionfest.com or at the Carolina Asheville box office. Follow ActionFest on Twitter at @actionfest.

About ActionFest

ActionFest was founded by Bill Banowsky, Aaron Norris, and Dennis Berman. Tom Quinn is the Head of Programming and Matthew Kiernan is the Festival Director. Inquiries about ActionFest can be sent to info@actionfest.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Contact: Matt Cowal mc@actionfest.com

ACTIONFEST TO PREMIERE IN ASHEVILLE, NC APRIL 15-18, 2010! First ever film festival devoted to Action Cinema opens with World Premiere of Neil Marshall's CENTURION!! Chuck Norris to accept Lifetime Achievement Award!!!

Asheville, NC - March 2, 2010 - 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 Matt 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.

About ActionFest

Actionfest was founded by Bill Banowsky, Aaron Norris, and Dennis Berman. Tom Quinn is the Head of Programming and Matthew Kiernan is the Festival Director. Press inquiries for ActionFest can be sent to info@actionfest.com.