Fighting Spirit returns for 2026 with a three day action packed festival including feature films, short films, demonstrations, and more!

The Fighting Spirit Film Festival is back for its London Edition! Now in its eleventh year, the London edition returns with a full action packed weekend!

We are a unique festival dedicated to Martial Arts films. In addition to screening three feature films and three feature documentaries, we will also be showing 36 short films by independent film makers and artists from all over the world.

On top of that, there will be live Martial Art demonstrations from various clubs throughout the three days. Attendees will be able to meet and mingle with all the performers, and also with actors and production staff from the films who will be at the event. There will be merchandise such as comics, posters, and T-shirts on sale.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER

6.15PM - Opening film - Mexicali (18) plus short film Night Shift

Mexicali is the debut feature of stunt coordinator, now director, Luke LaFontaine (Avengement) and is written and produced by FSFF patron Jesse Johnson. Bren Foster (Life After Fighting/The Beast) plays Joe; an ex-fighter with a certain set of skills. Joe still fights in underground tournaments, to help his partner, Estrella (Tania Raymonde) whose avocado farm becomes a target for a criminal gang. In the mix, Kris Van Damme (son of JCVD) plays a suitably unlikeable baddie.

Fans of classic American martial arts films are sure to feel at home here. The opening fight scene has echoes of Bloodsport with gritty hand-to-hand action, and Foster displays some great moves that are worthy of a rewind if you have the setup to do so. The chemistry between Estrella and Joe is believable and relatable (being characters that compliment each other and fill the gaps in each others weaknesses — yin yang if you like). There are moments (like Estrella's training sequence) that seem to give a nod to John G Avildsen (who LaFontaine met as a teenager when he was in Karate Kid, playing a crowd role in the final tournament). In the closing act we get more guns and explosions, but we also find that Joe's character has gone from fighting battles solo to working with a team - the magnificent three if you like.

This feature will be preceded by the short film “Night Shift”.

SATURDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER

10.00AM - Short Films in Competition Part 1 (18)

In our Short Films Screening we will be showing a mix of fiction and documentaries, all produced by film makers from around the world. Whether you like traditional kung fu, modern hard hitting action, or real life stories, there will be something for you! The films in this section will be: Mixed Bag, Being A Fighter, The Turning Point, Scripted Pain, Spirit Moves - Me And Gee Gee Willie , Elsewhere Fragments: Krieg, Reprise, Time, Bangkok Dragons, Beyond The Mat, Still Yours, My Hero, One More Opening Sequence, Till Theft Do Us Part, Floor, Reborn

2.00PM - Project Sifu Part 2: Panel Talk

Amid rising concerns over youth violence in the UK, Project Sifu follows a unique pilot initiative that merges martial arts training with action filmmaking to empower young people through creativity, discipline, and cultural exchange. Set in Sheffield and co-created by film scholar Dr. Wayne Wong and Fighting Spirit Film Festival founder Soo Cole, the project brings together a diverse group of students—many with no prior martial arts or filmmaking experience.

Over 12 weeks, participants learn techniques ranging from Wing Chun to cinematic choreography, supported by a team of industry professionals. Through physical training, stunt practice, film production, and reflections on cultural identity, Project Sifu documents their personal transformations and the creation of their own short action film. It is both a celebration of martial arts cinema and a heartfelt exploration of confidence-building, cross-cultural dialogue, and the joy of collaborative learning. The first Project Sifu culminated in a short film that was screened at FSFF 2025.

This is a special panel and catch up with scholar, author and director Wayne Wong, and some of the participants who worked on the follow up to Project Sifu 2025. This time the project included a series of stunt workshops, taking the documentary and short from 2025 on tour and making another short with some new faces. In collaboration with Sheffield University, Geez A Gi and FSFF.

4.00PM - Charity Screening - EJ’s Warriors Part 3 (18)

A continuation of the EJs Warriors series, chronicling the martial journey of the young students of EJs Warrior Karate Academy, Columbus, Ohio.

Part 3 picks up the story, with Sensei EJ and The Warriors en route to international tournaments in Brazil, Greece and Paraguay and details the obstacles involved in navigating the road to success, and ups and downs felt by the kids and their loved ones.

An uplifting and inspiring documentary. All proceeds from this screening will be donated to charity.

8.15PM - Val

Description supplied by the event organiser.