The season will celebrate the artistry of real action choreography.
Presented by the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) using funds from the National Lottery, the Art of action season will take place at cinemas across the UK from October-December 2024.
The season will provide the opportunity to get behind-the-scenes insights from those working in the action and stunt communities, via special events, demonstrations, talks and screenings throughout the season.
Art in Action will highlight the genre through the ages, concentrating on films ranging from cult classics to lesser-known gems from around the world. In addition it will bring to attention the he work of female stunt performers and their struggle for recognition, and champion the new wave of action stars and filmmakers who are building upon the legacy of those who have been involved in the industry before them.
During the season, screenings of films such as The General (1926), The Train (1964), The Wild Bunch (1969), the Police Story Trilogy (1985-1992), Run Lola Run (1998), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Polite Society (2023) and many more. At the centre of Art of Action will be the a BFI re-release of Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break (1991), starring Keanu Reeves as FBI agent Johnny Utah, who goes undercover with a gang of surfers, led by Patrick Swayze’s Bodhi, who are suspects in a series of bank robberies. The film will be re-released in select cinemas UK-wide by BFI Distribution on the 8th November, with the film also available on BFI Player on the same date.
Art of Action will be programmed around three key themes, with the first dedicated to spotlighting action through the ages – from the early visual gags of silent gems to influential classics and all the way through to the intricate and dynamic wuxia choreography of films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Female talent will also be celebrated in terms of those in front of and behind the camera, as well as shedding a light on under-represented voices in the action community. The third theme will focus on how action films became a global phenomenon as both Eastern and Western filmmakers were inspired by each other, and the impact of such cross-cultural influences on cinema today.
During the Art of Action, the BFI IMAX will host a number of events during the season, including all-nighters devoted to John Wick and Mission: Impossible as well as the premiere of a new 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai.
Jason Wood, BFI Director of Public Programme & Audiences, said: “Art of Action will be a high-octane crowd pleaser at a moment when we truly need to be supporting cinemas, which provide such vital culture and entertainment to communities across the UK. The BFI Film Audience Network plays a really important role in getting diverse films to audiences and this has been an inspirational and creative collaboration with our colleagues at Watershed, Bristol taking the lead. It’s a great blueprint for how the BFI can work with partners UK-wide on major projects. Art of Action’s broad historical and international scope presents the films we love alongside brand-new discoveries from silent gems to combat charged women, martial arts to major blockbusters plus a long-awaited re-release of Kathryn Bigelow’s seminal Point Break. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!”
To find out more visit:https://www.bfi.org.uk/art-action