By Cindy Ortiz
Imperia Entertainment
Imperia Entertainment (Pink Sheets: IPEI) President James Hergott announces today that the Xyience Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada will host open auditions for a movie about the sport of mixed martial arts entitled Never Submit on December 16th and 17th beginning at noon each day.
The Xyience Training Center is owned and operated by John Wood and is home to a number of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Pride Fighting Championship and International Fight League (IFL) competitors, many of which are expected to audition for roles in Never Submit.
According to the movies producer, Cindy Ortiz, “The Xyience Training Center is one of the most popular MMA gyms in Sin City and came highly recommended as a place we should consider inviting to host one of the Never Submit open casting calls. There’s no denying the caliber of athletes associated with the XTC are some of the best in this sport and with Vegas being a hotbed for MMA talent, Imperia is making this stop a two day affair. John Wood runs a top-notch operation and I have no doubt we will be able to cast and fill a number of roles on our list.”
“Robert Roveta of Denaro Sports Marketing (www.denaroathletes.com headquartered in Las Vegas, NV) and I have been in contact since April about the movie” explains Ortiz. “He is the Jerry Maguire of this sport and works with an impressive list of rising fighters he plans to have on hand to audition including TUF/UFC fighters Alex Karalexis, Josh Burkman, Nate Quarry, Chris Leben and Tyson Griffin. Jervis Cole sent a group of fighter’s to the San Jose auditions managed by his firm, Zinkin Entertainment (www.zinkin.tv), and a handful should expect to receive callbacks. I encourage other managers and agents to follow their lead as we continue our cross country talent search over the next few months.”
“Also slated to audition are TUF season one contract winner and UFC fighter Forrest Griffin, TUF season three contract winner and UFC fighter Rashad Evans, former Octagon Girl and current WFA Ring Girl Amber Nicole Miller and a plethora of IFL, Pride FC and UFC fighters. Top Hollywood casting agents are submitting requests for private auditions for name talent having graced the silver screen in recent years and a multitude of additional requests to host casting calls have been pouring in over the past two months” comments James Hergott, writer and director of Never Submit. “Our staff is working overtime trying to keep up but these are great problems to have.”
“Competing in combat sports is something these athletes choose to do”¦but it’s not the only thing they can do” adds Hergott. “Our recent open casting call in San Jose at American Kickboxing Academy turned out some of the biggest and brightest stars representing the sport of MMA right now and we were very pleased with the acting talent and physical skills many of these athletes possess. I’m looking forward to seeing more of what this sport has to offer in Las Vegas at the Xyience Training Center in a few weeks. Pride Fighting Championships superstars Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer “Silva and Mauricio “Shogun “Rua have already been cast.”
Inquiries pertaining to fighters interested in auditioning for roles, potential sponsorship opportunities available to companies/vendors and MMA media requests should be made via e-mail to “Never Submit” Producer Cindy Ortiz at [email protected].
Character descriptions and scripted scenes intended for audition preparation purposes are now available for distribution and may be requested via e-mail @ [email protected] or downloaded directly from the movies website @ www.neversubmit.com.
Director James Hergott comments, “As a former Judo competitor, I have closely followed this sport and have been a fan of MMA since its North American introduction in 1993. Only during the past two years has mixed martial arts finally started to gain true mainstream acceptance. Never Submit will appeal to the hardcore fans as well as expose movie goers to this emerging sport who may know very little, if anything, about MMA when they enter the theater. My goal is to turn as many viewers into MMA fans as possible by the closing credits.”
Hergott continues, “It is my intent as writer and director to portray the sport of MMA, the athletes competing in it and the fans supporting it in a positive light. MMA isn’t a barbaric underground blood sport like it has been depicted in the past by other filmmakers. It’s a very intellectual sport; a physical chess match between men. Never Submit will showcase the courage, integrity, commitment, athleticism and sportsmanship found in these modern day gladiators and I’m looking forward to telling their stories.”
“To most professional fighters in this sport, Never Submit is a metaphor describing the way they live their lives,” Hergott explains. “These athletes aren’t quitters. They have a discipline that runs deep that impacts most of what they do. They have something in their DNA that the rest of us do not. These athletes are competitive by nature and the will to succeed and be number one is always the goal.”
“Their appearance is typically their ‘secret weapon’ because they can be accountants, teachers, police officers, firemen and/or attorneys,” Hergott adds. “They don’t have to be tall like basketball players or massive and quick like football players in order to be champions. MMA offers one of, if not the most diverse and talented pools of athletes found in any sport, in any country, on any continent in the world and that’s one of the things that makes it so great.”
ABOUT NEVER SUBMIT
Never Submit is an inspirational tale similar to Rocky, but the lead character is an intelligent young man (as are most fighters competing in this sport) rather than a beaten-down punch-drunk fighter. An amazing cast of characters will round out this film; each from different walks of life; each with his own set of circumstances and motivating factors driving him to be the best. For some, their best won’t be good enough.
Different roads bring them all to the same intersection where the human spirit is put to the test. For these athletes, their hearts, physical skills and mental tenacity decides the victor”¦ and there can only be one. Never Submit takes movie goers inside the methodical, fast paced, action packed, unpredictable and sometimes controversial world of mixed martial arts, deemed by many to be the most exciting sport on the planet.
Ms. Ortiz comments, “MMA is regulated and sanctioned by numerous state athletic commissions because they recognize it to be a legitimate sport just like baseball, football and basketball. These fighters are just as much professional athletes as the elite performers found in other sports. I feel that Never Submit will have widespread appeal because it doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you are from, competitive fighting is universal. The action in this film is going to keep movie goers on the edge of their seats just like it does millions of spectators flocking to live MMA events every year around the globe.”
Ortiz continues, “The script doesn’t present MMA as the hobby it is for some, nor does it focus on amateur level competitors. Never Submit showcases the intensity of professional fighting and I think it’s going to succeed in bringing long overdue recognition and respect to the sport as well as the athletes representing it. Typically we see films with great action scenes but not-so-great acting or storylines”¦ or just the opposite. That’s not the case with Never Submit. The fight sequences are outstanding, the dramatic scenes are warm and convincing and the way Mr. Hergott has tied these two elements together makes for a great story. The roles are challenging and rewarding and the end result will be something everyone involved can be very proud of.”
Imperia Entertainment recently announced a partnership with TapouT Magazine (www.tapoutmagazine.com) as part of a cross-country tour to promote the publication as well as the movie. Stops at select dojos to hold auditions for Never Submit are being finalized. TapouT Magazine readers can expect to see the mixed martial arts movie prominently featured in the bi-monthly publication throughout the casting, filming and theatrical release stages, as well as enjoy behind the scenes details from Never Submit director James Hergott, one of TapouT Magazines newest contributors.
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