31/08/2026
Panels and Q+As that we are hosting at Rio Cinema
Not only are we screening in-competition and out of competition short films and feature films, we are also hosting panels and Q+As.
Saturday -
2:00 p.m. - Project Sifu 2 Screening and Panel Talk
This is a Premiere and a Special Panel and a 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 collab with The University of Sheffield, Geez A Gi & FSFF.
Panelists - Wayne Wong, Sam Cheung, Soo Cole, Matt Routledge, Matt Law from Geez A Gi, Sam Mak, Huicong Liu, Yusuf Mohammed, Jake Night, Chong Sze Tong, Grace Gidley, Akanksha Gowri, Ning Chuan, Ning Shan, Nam J Huih, Vishaal N Baskaran, Naira Gevorkyan, Jack Kelly, Megan Holmes, Louise O’Leary, Dave Holloway, Tiffany Tsoi, Phyllis Wong and Price Yiu Wai Chu.
This is a Free Panel, but please book a ticket to secure your seat.
8:15 p.m. - Valkyries (18) and Q+A with Director - Carmen Torner
Synopsis - Valkyries follows two female MMA Fighters - Mariona, a young Catalan athlete starting her amateur journey and Emily, a Brazilian professional who has built her life through the Cage.
Sunday -
2:00 p.m. - Late Night At The Rio - The Kung Fu Years.
A free panel talk looking back at the history of as a hub for the Kung Fu Film Scene and the exploration of the wider context of the Kung Fu Explosion of the 70s/80s and it’s enduring legacy.
Panelists -
Esmond Francis - Founder of Martial Way Training, a Tottenham based kickboxing school and FSFF Team Member.
Matt Routledge - Martial Artist, Stuntman & Director of films, such as Beyond Illusion and FSFF Alumni.
Mike Fury - Journalist, Author of “Life of Action” Book Series and FSFF Judge.
Ricky Baker- Film Insider who runs the Kung Fu Cafe and has been involved in Kung Fu Cinema in the UK for over 30 years.
Rochelle Ashana - Stuntwoman and actress who has worked on films, such as Blade and Kickboxer.
Silvio Simac - World Champion Martial Artist and International Action Actor from Undisputed 3 and Man of Tai.
This panel is free, but please book a ticket to reserve your seat.
3:30 p.m. - Princess Khulan - The Mongolian Wrestler and Q+A with Director Dino Argentiero.
Synopsis: Khulan is 11 years old and has a dream: she wants to become a wrestler in Mongolia, where the sport remains a strictly male domain. She began training at a young age, supported by her father, a former wrestler himself. While women in Mongolia are allowed to compete in Olympic freestyle wrestling, they are still excluded from traditional Mongolian wrestling.
For tickets for , head to www.fightingspiritfilmfestival.com/online-schedule-2026
