Are you willing to get in the ring and to take your final punch with ‘SHINER’?
Written by highly acclaimed actor-writer, Kevin Bernhardt (Dynasty, General Hospital, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth), with direction by Seo Mutarevic (Wild Side, Pernicious, Crave: The Fast Life), SHINER is a complex film about relationships, set against the backdrop of the intense world of underground MMA fighting.
Full of high-stakes action and bloody punches, SHINER (aka Promise) follows Matt (Seya Hug), a med school dropout who sets out to live his dream of becoming a local MMA champion. Inspired by his former idol, Matt seeks out Happy McBride (Kevin Bernhardt), an aging ex-champ with an attitude that more than justifies his reputation. Happy takes him under his wing after witnessing Matt’s expertise in the ring, knocking out his opponent with precise punches, acknowledging the fighter’s strong and future potential. But, Matt’s first-match victory is smashed when he uncovers that Happy’s management is a fixed one, where Happy calls the shots on both fighters, making a profit regardless of the winner. When Matt loses, he uses that match as an opportunity to persuade Happy do the right thing and teach him how to fight properly – and so, Matt and Happy’s journey into underground MMA fighting begins.
With determination, focus, passion and intense training, Matt begins to fight his way to the top, rightfully earning the nickname, “The Doctor”. But, Happy’s past misdeeds begin to catch up with him when his rival manager, Big Joe (Kirk Fox), approaches Matt to say that Happy’s sordid reputation and ways haven’t changed. Conflict between Matt and Happy continue to heat up when Matt falls in love with Happy’s daughter, Nikki (Shannon Staller), a genius at multilingualism, who yearns to be a fighter herself after the death of her mother. The intense and ultimate conflict comes to a head when Happy’s former manager, Larry (Brian T. Finney), books Matt a title match – against Happy himself.
Will Matt be able to fight his mentor and win? Or will he leave the MMA world once and for all?
SHINER had its US premiere on October 1, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA. The action-drama found immense success at the US 2018 Northeast Film Festival (NEFF), receiving three prestigious awards for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ (Shannon Staller), ‘Best Actor’ (Kevin Bernhardt), and ‘Best Screenplay’ (Kevin Bernhardt).
TriCoast Entertainment will exclusively release Mutarevic’s action-packed fighter film SHINER onto US digital platforms beginning November 27th.
SHINER holds an exquisitely talented cast, consisting of Kevin Bernhardt (Dynasty, General Hospital, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth), Seya Hug (Lucky Girl, Walk of Fame), longtime winning and nominated actress Shannon Staller (The Captain, Stalker, Bravo 6556, Lonely Weekend), Randall England (Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Baywatch, Looker), Amin Joseph (Snowfall, Dope, Baywatch), Kirk Fox (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Parks and Recreation), Archie Hahn (Guess Who, Innerspace) and Michael Hudson (Dirty Grandpa, The Evil Down the Street).
