Bruce Lee Museum and Fighting Spirit Film Festival are highlights of Seni08 Excel, London 26th & 27th April.
In its 10th successful year, Seni is Europe’s biggest Expo and Festival dedicated to martial arts and combat sports, visited by thousands of dedicated martial artists, exponents, instructors and enthusiasts. the most complete inter-active martial arts experience, Seni boasts over 150 trade stands, hundreds of demonstrations, seminars and live events across six themed entertainment zones over 15,000sqm at London’s Excel in the heart of Docklands. Each of the zones delivers pro-active exciting feature events and talent to enable the show to appeal to the widest range ! of fighting art practitioners. Alongside the themed zones there is an enviable schedule of appearances by the very best National and International Masters, celebrities and ! sporting legends, making the Seni weekend the must-see event in the fighting arts calendar.
Seni08 will see the introduction of the brand new Bruce Lee Zone, dedicated to the memory of the world’s greatest martial arts film star, honouring the 35th anniversary of his death. Its centrepiece will be a Bruce Lee Museum, unique to the UK in association with the Bruce Lee Foundation and supported by personal appearances from major figures in Bruce Lee’s life, such as his daughter Shannon Lee and Bob Wall, the villain of both ‘Enter the Dragon’ and ‘Way of the Dragon’. The museum will feature rare artifacts, film memorabilia, photos, drawings and letters, many never seen before, as well as Q&A sessions and signings with Shannon Lee and Bob Wall.
Seni also boasts the UK’S only generic martial arts Film Festival, ‘Fighting Spirit’, held to reflect the consistent popularity and influence of martial arts cinema. The festival follows a busy two day schedule and features up to 16 new, rare and classic films, complimented by star appearances, Q&A sessions and special events, seminars and discussions groups to celebrate martial arts film.
Since its inception, the Festival has hosted the first British screenings of such high profile Martial Arts movies as ‘Warrior King’, ‘District 13’ ‘Dragon Tiger Gate’ and ‘City of Violence’, as well as giving fans the opportunity to see such classics as ‘Hapkido’ and ‘New Fist of Fury’ fully restored to their former glory on the big screen. Seni07 also caused a sensation by screening ‘Two Kings’ featuring rare archive footage of Bruce Lee and Elvis Presley, footage never before seen in Europe. Although only two years old, the festival has already been supported by personal appearances, Q&A sessions, seminars and demonstrations by such stars as John Saxon, Gordon Liu, Don Wilson, Diana Lee Inosanto and Michael Jai White.
Now in its third year, the film festival will be showing its regular slate of Hong Kong movies but also supporting home-grown talent for the first time by promoting three independent British martial arts movies featuring a host of combat sport champions alongside household names in the entertainment industry. Thus Seni will offer first look UK screenings of-
‘Sucker Punch’ an action-comedy that tips its hat to Charles Bronson’s ‘The Streetfighter’ directed by Malcolm Martin and starring Danny John Jules (Blade 2, Red Dwarf) Gordon Alexander (The Purifiers) and Ian Freeman (UFC veteran and Mixed Martial Art Legend) with appearances by Tom Hardy, Tamer Hassan and Antonio Fargas.
‘10 Dead Men’ an intense revenge thriller in the vein of ‘Kill Bill’ directed by Ross Boyask (Left For Dead) and starring Brendan Carr ( Rise of the Footsoldiers)and Terry Stone (Rise of the Footsoldiers, Rollin with the Nines) with appearances by Silvio Simac (DOA, Unleashed) and Doug Bradley (The Cottage, Hellraiser series) as the narrator. Fight choreography is by Hong Kong stalwart Jude Poyer.
‘Underground’ a martial arts extravaganza in the vein of ‘Bloodsport’ directed by Chee Keong Cheung and starring Joey Ansah (Bourne Ultimatum), Mark Strange (The Medallion, Twins Effect) and Nathan Lewis (Fight School) with an appearance by Sophie Linfield (Football Factory) and fight arrangement by Dave Forman (‘Batman Begins’, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.)
More titles will be announced and entry to the Fighting Spirit Film Festival is free once you have entered Seni and Film Passes are provided on a film by film basis.
Seni 08, The Worlds Greatest Martial Arts Expo Excel, London 26th & 27th April. Tickets from Ticketmaster-0844 847 1699 or www.seni.tv For Press details, images etc contact Malcolm Martin malcolm@fightersinc.net