· New MMA Documentary “FIGHT LIFE” Coming In 2010

Press Release:

Fight Life is a new groundbreaking documentary that gives the audience an intimate look into the real life of the modern day professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter. From paying dues starting out at the smaller shows to the championship fight on TV, Fight Life chronicles the daily lives of fighters from all different levels over the course of one year.

“68% of Professional MMA Fighters Don’t Have Health Insurance”
Fight Life

Starring three different fighters in different stages in their careers, Fight Life paints the full picture of the MMA lifestyle through the diverse point of views on our protagonists. This newprofession of mixed martial arts has flourished from cult status into mainstream after years of surviving in the underground. The evolution of the sport within the last ten years from an unsanctioned blood sport into main attraction on Spike TV/CBS has surprised all naysayer's who a decade ago doubted the sport would ever survive. Along with this new sport emerges this new fascinating lifestyle of the professional fighter that newly embodies the definition of the American hero.

“Average Professional MMA Fighter’s Salary = $11,000”
Fight Life

"Highest of high, lowest of lows" a fighter once told me about the sport of mixed martial arts. In the spirit of capturing the growth of this new modern phenomenon, Fight Life chronicles the exciting sport of MMA through the lens of our fighters. Focusing on our three main protagonists' lives both inside and outside of the cage, we offer a rare behind the scenes view of both the triumphant and inglorious times of the professional fighter. From the moment of victory every fighter is chasing after, to the nightmare of receiving the devastating knockout, we follow these fighters during their journey chasing a dream few dare.

This film is directed by award winning independent filmmaker James Z. Feng and produced by Seher Basak, James Y. Shih, and Lanser Boint. This film is also co produced by MMA veteran champions Jake Shields and Frank Shamrock.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Having spent the past year working on Fight Life, I can finally declare that the professional mixed martial arts lifestyle is no different than that of a struggling independent filmmaker. My inspiration for doing this project drew from the parallels and similarities of both of our worlds. I was confident I could capture the reality of their lives because I knew, understood, and lived it myself. Broke, passionate, insecure, hungry, driven, opportunistic; these words will give you a good insight into the identical themes in our own respective worlds.

The misconceptions and stereotypes of fighters was one important taboo I sought to break open through my project. No more playing tough guy for the cameras or acting like a brute to intimidate opponents; I wanted our fighters to showcase themselves contrary to what’s expected of them on TV. Through interviews, surveys, spending lots of time with the fighters, I was able to get a deeper look at both the good and bad sides of this new growing sport. Most importantly, I wanted the fighters to open themselves up and tell their own stories under their terms.

As we went deeper into the project, I could feel myself more and more connected emotionally to our fighters and their fights. I started to feel the nerves before fight night imagining what will happen and how I would react to the result of the fight. The thrill of watching one of our fighters fighting live is a feeling I could never do justice with mere words. The actual fights themselves feel like a surreal blur where I question my own state of being, asking myself if I’m in a state of trance or simply shell-shocked by reality. After the fights, I share our joys in victory and at times the pain of misery in defeat.

“The highest of highs, the lowest of lows” these words will always stay with me as I look back at everything I’ve witnessed through the rollercoaster careers of our fighters. The more I soaked in their world, the more I realized MMA is more than just a job or sport. These athletes push their own physical and mental limits to reach a higher-level everyday, 365 days a year. Having now gone through this journey into MMA and looking back, I’m positive there isn’t anybody out there more fit to tell the story of Fight Life than a struggling independent filmmaker.

THE CAST

Lyle Beerbohm
Bryan Caraway
Nick Diaz
Matt Lindland
Big John McCarthy
Gilbert Melendez
Ryan Schultz
Frank Shamrock
Sam Sheridan
Jake Shields
Miesha Tate

THE FILMMAKERS

Writer, Director, Producer: James Z. Feng
Director of Photography: Mike Solidum
Editor: George Danno
Post-production Supervisor: Ramon Vasquez Jr.
Trailer Editor: Ramon Vasquez Jr.
Graphic Designer: Jenny Pan
Producer: Seher Basak
Producer: Lanser Boint
Producer: James Y. Shih
Co-Producer: Barbara Grandvoinet
Co-Producer: Frank Shamrock
Co-Producer: Jake Shields
Executive Producer: James Z. Feng

Director of Fight Life
http://www.fightlife.tv/
James Z. Feng

ABOUT THE FIGHTERS

Jake Shields, Co-Producer/Professional MMA Fighter
Jake Shields began amateur wrestling at the age of nine and has been a professional MMA fighter for over ten years. He began his MMA training at Chuck Liddell’s SLO Kickboxing Academy in 1999. In 2001, Jake received a wrestling scholarship to San Francisco State University and moved to San
Francisco where he began training with the Cesar Gracie Fight Team (Dave Terrell, Nick and Nate Diaz, Gilbert Melendez). Jake is a lifelong vegetarian and a proud father, whose competitive edge and hard work has earned him a place in the top five welterweights in the world. Fight Life gives an inside look on Jake’s journey from fighting broke to becoming champion

Frank “The Legend” Shamrock, Co-Producer/Professional MMA Fighter
Born Frank Alisio Juarez III, Frank spent his childhood in and out of foster homes and crisis centers. Eventually he went to live with Bob Shamrock, a man who has taken in hundreds of troubled boys including Frank’s stepbrother Ken, and adopted the Shamrock name. In 1994 during the beginning
stages of the sport, Frank Shamrock took to MMA as way to support himself. Since then he’s amassed numerous world titles and established himself as a respected authority on MMA. In Fight Life, Frank Shamrock lends his experience and insight on the sport of MMA, a sport that he was instrumental in getting sanctioned in the US.

Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm, Professional MMA Fighter
Lyle Beerbohm has had his share of ups and downs. Wrestling in high school, Lyle already showed tenacity in competition and was ranked in the state. Things took a turn for the worst when after high school, Lyle fell into the wrong crowd and got addicted to methamphetamine. This addiction would
dictate the next six years of his life which he spent in and out of jail and amassed eight felony charges. While serving out his last sentence in prison, Lyle saw an episode of The Ultimate Fighter that sparked a fire in him to be a fighter. Eight days after he was released from prison, Lyle fought his first amateur fight and “traded one addiction for another”. His parents, once weary from constant disappointment of their son, are now his biggest fans and his mother shows her support by making him the fanciest fight
shorts in the business. Fight Life gives an intimate look at one of the most inspiring undefeated rising stars in MMA.

Ryan “The Lion” Schultz, Professional MMA Fighter
Ryan Schultz grew up in North Platte, Nebraska and was a member of his high school wrestling team. He continued to compete at the University of Nebraska where he met Olympic wrestler and MMA fighter Matt Lindland. After graduating with a Criminal Justice degree, Ryan worked as a plumber
before making the move to Team Quest in Oregon and training full time with his former wrestling coach. Supporting his wife and son through fighting, “The Lion” (a nickname that he wears on his back) epitomizes the reality of what it is to be a professional MMA fighter living the Fight Life.

Nick Diaz, Professional MMA Fighter
Nick Diaz was born and raised in Stockton, CA. Growing up in a tough neighborhood, Diaz started training in martial arts as a teenager to defend himself. He and his brother, pro MMA fighter Nate Diaz, began training at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy where he met close friends and training partners Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez. Since starting his MMA career in 2001, Nick has fought in numerous promotions (IFC, WEC, UFC, Shooto, Pride, Strikeforce) and has cemented himself as one of the top MMA fighters in the world. Upfront with his use of cannabis and his no BS attitude have garnered him the love and hate of many MMA fans. Fight Life gives a rare perspective on one of the most misunderstood fighters in MMA today.

Gilbert "El Niño” Melendez, Professional MMA Fighter
Born and raised in Santa Ana, CA, Gilbert Melendez competed as a wrestler at Santa Ana High School. Upon graduation he earned a wrestling scholarship to SF State where he met Jake Shields who encouraged him to train in BJJ and MMA with the Cesar Gracie Fight Team. Gilbert has been fighting since 2002 and has garnered an impressive record of 16-2 and has earned the nickname "El Nino" (in reference to his fighting style that "wipes out everything in its path"). Fight Life takes you to the eye of the storm and shows what it takes to be one of the top lightweight fighters in the world.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

James Y. Shih, Producer
An actor by trade, James Y. Shih, got his start in film production producing short films at the University of California, San Diego where he studied Theatre and Economics. After college, James went to live in Taipei, Taiwan where he continued to act in theatre and also worked as a Business
Director for a social network start up. A lifelong martial artist and a MMA enthusiast, James was drawn to Fight Life by its subject matter and also with the hopes that this film will help shatter the many misconceptions about the hardworking men and women fighters that make this sport.

Lanser Boint, Producer
Writer/Producer Lanser Boint brings his journalist and CPG sales and marketing background to the team. He hopes to both educate people and bring mainstream exposure and sponsorship to MMA. He also is working on producing his latest screenplay Freedom Rains, the story of a disillusioned Iraq war vet who turns to the octagon for truth.

Michael Solidum, Director of Photography
As a newcomer to the filmmaking world, Michael Solidum strives to inject a fresh look to the lens of every project with which he is involved. He immigrated to the Los Angeles area at an early age from the island of Mindanao in the Southern Philippines and worked in the legal field for nearly a decade before he began to pursue filmmaking. His life experiences help shape his cinematographic and filmmaking perspectives. He is a fan of contemporary cinematographers Matthew Libatique, Christopher Doyle and Larry Fong. Michael eagerly signed on to Fight Life to embrace the challenge of working on a project involving a subject that was unfamiliar to him and to work with a talented crew of dedicated individuals.

Barbara Grandvoinet, Co-Producer
Born and raised in Paris, Barbara Grandvoinet now lives in San Francisco as a producer and director. Her film "Children of the Trains" (in post-production) is gaining attention worldwide. She produces, writes and edits segments frequently broadcast on national television as well as documentaries and films. Her past work with the PBS/American Masters series includes: “Julliard", "F. Scott Fitzgerald: Winter Dreams", "Robert Capa: In love & War" and "Clint Eastwood". She received her Masters Degree in Broadcast Communication Arts from San Francisco State University. Barbara brings over a decade of expertise in pre-production, production and postproduction.

James Z. Feng, Writer/Director/Producer
James Z. Feng is an award-winning indie filmmaker (600, Drowning) shooting his first feature documentary film with Fight Life. An accomplished actor with many credits, James dedicated himself into filmmaking after his debut film 600 made a splash in the international film festival scene. Not a
fan in using other people's money to shoot his own projects, James works multiple jobs to support and fund his own films. James is a passionate filmmaker with a unique realistic vision on the stories he wants to tell. James lives by the following motto: "Passion, Hard work, Perseverance."