The Hitman And The Assassin - A Singapore-UK Action Short Film Premiering Internationally 19 Jan 2025

Forget about Bridgerton and Downton Abbey. It is time to watch something different by leaping right into an action-packed SG-UK short film collaboration entitled “The Hitman And The Assassin”. The action film which was directed by William Axtell, stars UK action actor Colin Squire and Red Dot Island’s own action actor and film-maker, Jonathan Cheong.

Colin Squire, also the producer of the film, fell in love with action movies when he was a young child. From then on, Colin learned and tried different kinds of martial arts, including karate, kickboxing and taekwondo. His foray into acting came by when he took a workshop by British action star Mark Strange during the pandemic lockdown. When the lockdown was lifted, Colin was given the chance to star in a couple of Mark Strange's short action films, including “Combat Zone”. “Combat Zone” went on to win a string of awards at film festivals.  

8 years ago, local actor Jonathan Cheong started out Raging Fire Productions, with a vision to uplift genre films in Red Dot Island. Inspired by his idol and role model Donnie Yen, Jonathan strives to produce realistic fight sequences coupled with engaging story-telling. To date, Jonathan has worked on several movies, short films, TV shows, promotional gigs, web series and more. Some of these titles include the celebrated “Star Wars fan film Legend Of Hope: A Star Wars Fan Film” (2020), awrd-winning “Bullet For Vengeance” (2023) and a memorable role as Bearded Man in Kuman Films' viral dystopian movie “Pendatang”. For most of these own productions, Jonathan provides the choreography for the action sequences .

After meeting at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival last year, Colin and Jonathan bonded over their passion about action movies and discussed about doing a short film together. The result is a fun (and also, funny) action short film where a Singaporean Assassin bids for the same victim as a Brit Hitman. Will they end up eliminating each other? Or will they become deadly frenemies?

“The Hitman And The Assassin marks the first time I'm part of a project in the West,” says Jonathan Cheong. “What's fun and unique is that I'm not playing an English but rather a Singaporean Hitman that happens to somehow be on the soil of England. And it just so happens that another local Assassin is there to do his job!

The film may seem to be really simple and direct, but it sets up alot of potentials for the future sequels to come! What's another interesting aspect is in the title itself. The Hitman and the Assassin! The film literally plays the stereotype we think of in movies of which the Hitman being better dressed than an Assassin! There is alot of humor but really intense action scenes coupled with!”

Colin Squire added, “The Hitman And The Assassin gave me a huge opportunity to learn and work with the talented Jonathan Cheong, and brilliant Will Axtell. Jonathan approached me with a great first concept which was a bit more serious but it soon evolved naturally in to a shorter action comedy with I believe turned out for the best.

The story has been done many times, but I think our fun, short film has some great action sequences and has laid the foundations for all of the three characters to evolve. Ben created a fun character spontaneously because in the original version he was not even meant to talk, if the opportunity allows us it will be interesting to see how the Hitman and the Assassin's relationship grow.”

“The Hitman And The Assassin” premiered at Bristol’s Forbidden Worlds Film Festival. Even though the film did not win an award in that festival, it garnered several awards in other notable film festivals in 2024. These awards include Best Action and Best Poster at No Country For Old Film Festival, Best Action Short at Paris Film Awards, and Best Poster and Best Comedy Action at International Film Festival.

Look out for the film as it is set to premiere internationally on director Will Axtell’s Youtube channel on 19 January 2025.


Colin Squire and Jonathan Cheong will also be appearing as special guests of the next Live With Red Dot Diva happening this Sunday (15 December 2024), at 11 PM SGT (3 PM GMT) on Red Dot Diva’s Facebook Page and Youtube channel. Join in to catch clips from the movie, chat with the actors and you get the chance ask them questions about the action film industry.

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Interview With Actor-Producer Jonathan Cheong About Award-Winning Action Short Film Bullet For Vengeance

At the age of 26, local actor-producer-action director Jonathan Cheong not only owns a film company called Raging Fire Productions, he already has a couple of award-winning action short films under this belt. Jonathan played a conflicted hitman in his 2021 film “Deadlock”, and he was awarded Best Actor at the World Film Carnival Singapore (WFCS) for the role. “Deadlock” also won Outstanding Crime Film and Best Outstanding Director for Samuel Delitans Lee at WFCS, and was selected for seven international film festivals.

Fueled by his passion for action genre films and ardent admiration for veteran martial arts actor Donnie Yen, Jonathan consistently puts in time and effort to hone his craft. His latest Raging Fire Productions offering entitled “Bullet For Vengeance” is an action thriller about the personal feud between between a criminal and a police inspector over a shooting gone wrong. The short film written and directed by Raphael Lim, stars Jonathan Cheong, Gary Gan, Johanna Van, Agnes Goh and Kris Mavericko.

To date, “Bullet For Vengeance” has clinched an impressive total of 8 Awards, 8 Official Sections and 7 Special Mentions at the local and international film festival circuit. This includes Best Cinematography by Benny Tan at the World Film Carnival Singapore (WFCS), Best Supporting Actor awarded to Kris Mavericko and Best Supporting Actress to Agnes Goh at the Golden Reel International Film Festival (Massachusetts, USA).

Ahead of the official release of “Bullet For Vengeance” for the general international audience, Red Dot Diva grabbed hold of Jonathan Cheong to ask him some nosy questions:

LEGO Ninjago Lands at Plaza Singapura from 28 August to 10 September 2017

Do you love ninjas? Especially Ninjas in LEGO form? Oh, and what about dragons? Yes... That too?
Then, you must already be a fan of the Ninjago line from LEGO!

The  LEGO Ninjago Movie is set to open at theatres in September, and the marketing vehicle is out in full force.

Red Dot Diva's friend, Jas the "adult kid", was at the  LEGO Ninjago Challenge Event at Plaza Singapura yesterday. Here's her report on how much fun she had while she was there.

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Similar to the activity booths that were launched at ION when The LEGO Batman Movie opened in cinemas, the LEGO Ninjago Movie has set up a challenge event held at Plaza Singapura.

There is a pop up store by Bricks World selling various Lego sets across the different brands, but of course LEGO Ninjago sets take up the most prominent display.

The LEGO #NINJAGOCHALLENGE Event Play Area consists of 4 stations, the Briefing Station 1, where a staff will explain to you what the entire event is about. (Note that the staff might dissuade adults if there is a line of little kids already waiting in line. Try to gather your own “team” of 3 adult players to take part in the same time slot!)

May the 4th 2017: Special Greeting from Ray Park for Star Wars Fans in Singapore

Pic from Ray Park's Twitter

Even though his moments as Darth Maul were quite short in "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace", a heavily made-up Ray Park owned and stole those scenes with his graceful, acrobatic wuxia-style stunt moves wielding the Sith Lord's iconic double-blade lightsaber. And with those few minutes, he earned himself gazillions of fans across the globe.

He has since acted in "X-Men", two G.I. Jones movies, in TV series "Heroes" amongst many other productions.

Red Dot Diva has a huge huge crush on Ray Park ever since she saw him in Episode I, and she was over the moon when she found out that he will be attending Star Wars Celebration Europe, held in London last year. Of course she had to get the photo and autoraph ops with Ray!

The actor is super-friendly to his hoard of fans, and he interacts with the RP Fandom regularly on Twitter and Instagram.

May the 4th 2017: Meet Lightsaber Wielding Mint Kang from Fightsaber Singapore

Fighting like a girl can be awesome, especially if you are wielding a lightsaber!

Mint Kang can count that as one of her skills as she performs choreographed Star Wars-themed lightsaber fight scenes on stage and at events about twice a year as part of the Fightsaber team.

Fightsaber is a not for profit Star Wars lightsaber performance and costuming organisation founded by Grand Master Sas-Ejiid aka Azmi Danuri, a passionate and long time Star Wars fan who also loves sword fighting. Mint Kang joined the group since 2012.

Red Dot Diva is curious about what it's like to spar with both Jedi and Sith, so she asked Mint Kang many nosy questions!

Red Dot Diva: Is your name really Mint?
Ming Kang (MK): Yes, my name actually is Mint. :p  I started using an English name a long time ago because when I first started working, overseas clients couldn't pronounce my Chinese name. It stuck (occasionally I do regret it).

Mint looking Sithfully Fierce! (Photo by Xiang Hao - Facebook - 500px)

BRRrrrrr! Celebrities Take On The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS Association in the U.S.

Matt Bomer accepting the challenge

This is one way to get things viral for a good cause!

The ALS Association found themselves caught by surprise when a stunt on social media called the Ice Bucket Challenge helped generate about USD 4 million so far for the organization this summer!

In the challenge, one is to dump a bucket or buckets of ice on oneself, post and tag oneself on social media doing it and then nominate others to take up the challenge too! The nominated person has to do the challenge within 24 hours or donate to the ALS Association. Red Dot Diva would think that most actually do both, although the donation may not have been mentioned.

Complete with the hashtag #IceBucketChallenge, from the ordinary person on the street to the sportsmen, entrepreneurs and politicians, and to the famous celebrities, many have come on board with this fun activity to help bring more information of the disease, called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, into the limelight and with it, the necessary financial support.

Diva's Q&A With Nick Santonastasso - He Who Gave Norman Reedus A Really Good Scare

Pardon Red Dot Diva for one more zombie blog post before she sails into other territories.

If only for awhile!

This little prank was too hilarious to pass up and share with all who love the "The Walking Dead", and particularly, with  all the fellow Norman Reedus fans, out there.

After Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus did their rounds of highly energetic fan events, a masterclass with drama students and charming the socks off media folk at press roundtables in Singapore, they both headed straight to Tokyo, Japan for their next wave of promo for "The Walking Dead".

Robert Knepper Makes You Want To Join The "Cult"

The CW's new series "Cult" is one unusual beast.

At last year's Comic-Con's Preview Night, Red Dot Diva caught the sneak peek of the opening episode of "Cult" and thought it was a little hard to follow. Especially since there were several intricate side plots going on in different dimensions - one in the real world, and another in a so-called meta-world or "reality show" world also called "Cult". (And if one counts our "real world", there are three worlds!) Confused, yet?

(To read Red Dot Diva's thoughts on "Cult", click here for her previous blog post!)

The series is the brainchild of Rockne S. O'Bannon, who is known as the creator of "Farscape", one the more creative and quirkiest scifi series in recent times. And his excitement over the various plots and ideas in his head is evident in the premiere episode of "Cult", although when meshed together, the lines are all blurred (who knows? That may probably the point anyway) and seem quite unfocused.

But Red Dot Diva can't deny that "Cult" gives its audience a fair amount of the spooks and has a crazy enough concept. She just hopes that it knows where it is going. Or that it will slow down a notch and offer more chewable visual baits, so that the viewers can digest it more. If not, there could be a risk that their audience interest would fade quickly. A series like "Cult" depends on viewers who can get attached to the ride and the promise of a satisfying end game.

One main stronghold of the series has got to be Robert Knepper - a charismatic actor who is super-brilliant playing villains. And who also owns one of Red Dot Diva's most favourite pair of scintillatingly evil biceps. You would most probably remember him playing bad guys like "Prison Break"'s unforgettable T-Bag or Samuel Sullivan in the last season of "Heroes".

Panels, Divadom and More At STGCC

If one has been counting down at all -- it's just 3 more weeks to the Red Dot island's main geeky pop-culture event - the Singapore Toy Games Comic Convention (STGCC) 2010!

The schedule for the panels have already been announced. Click here for the dates and times! All panels will be held in the Panel Room in Hall 401. Red Dot Diva would most probably target the comic-related ones. Which ones will you be targetting for?

It has also been announced that Marvel’s Senior VP, Creator and Content Development, C.B. Cebulski will be shortlisting and meeting possible talents during the event. So, if one is interested, you can submit your names either by email to Reed Exhibitions, or at STGCC itself!

Speedy Encounters at Austin CC

It was late last Sunday that Red Dot Diva saw a tweet from my Texan SDCC-roomie @RealFastTlkr. She had suddenly decided to head to the Austin Comic Convention the next day! And she said she was going to try to catch one of Red Dot Diva's favourite stunt guys (and ex-"Heroes" Season 4 actors) - Ray Park.

For those who are more familiar with Ray Park when he's not without make up, he's the person behind "Star Wars"' facially-tattooed villain, Darth Maul and "X-Men's" Toad, amongst many other movie characters (usually nasty, bad guys).

Red Dot Diva's other good friend @eserei27 had met Ray before at an Ohio convention and she mentioned that he was very personable and friendly to his fans. She got Red Dot Diva a Ray-autograph pic during that convention - on which, he had written her a very sweet personalized message. So Red Dot Diva heart-hearts Ray Park. ;)

Here is @RealFastTlkr's account of her Ray Park meet-up at the Austin CC!