Action cinema since the silent era has always been a global mode of filmmaking that has attracted audiences through the presentation of scenes in which characters experience some form of physical risk if not the threat of death. Just as action genres, such as the western, police thriller, and superhero film have characterized American cinema, so has the wuxia and the samurai film shaped Chinese and Japanese cinema as well. In this series, notable action films will be screened deriving from a range of national traditions beyond Hollywood that are representative of significant regional variants of action cinema. Programmed by Tico Romao.

Tico Romao is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta. He has a Ph.D. in Film Studies from the University of East Anglia and has authored several publications with his research interests including film style and the action cinema in its international modes. His book Action Scenarios: The Essential Guide to Action In Film (Superchamp Books) is due out in the autumn.