BRIGHTON WOK: THE LEGEND OF GANJA BOXING
Dir. Gabriel Howard, 2008.
United Kingdom. 90 min.
In English.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25 – MIDNIGHT
SUNDAY, APRIL 27 – 5 PM
TUESDAY, APRIL 29 – 10 PM

Ninjas, Ganja, Kung Fu.

Terror has befallen the English coastal city of Brighton in the form of the Italian ninja Vafan Cuolo and his army of kung-fu warriors. The people of Brighton’s fate is up to one man, Ryu. Who is just recently out of a care home himself and not exactly up to the task. Ryu must find the Ganja Master, learn the ways of Ganja Boxing, discover the origins of Cuolo, and defeat him once and for all to save Brighton before it succumbs to tyranny.

Low in budget, but high in action, and just high in general; BRIGHTON WOK is 4/20’s answer to St. Patrick Day’s all-time Spectacle classic: FATAL DEVIATION. A completely DIY affair, filming began in 2004, wrapped in 2006, and was finally released in 2008 after post production was split up over a couple years between other responsibilities: jobs, school, and ganja of course. The making of the film was all-hands on deck, and entirely Brighton-made, with fight choreography and stunts even being taken care of by a local martial arts instructor and his pupils. For a ragtag labor of love, its achievements are impressive. And audiences will be charmed by the film’s ambitions and ability to wear its childhood inspirations on its sleeve.