ActionFest 2012 Honours Gina Carano (The Inaugural Chick Norris Award)

ActionFest returns to Asheville on April 12-15 for its 3rd Edition ("This Time It's Personal!") and continues to grow stronger (cue work-out/training montage) whilst finding its sea-legs as the only festival (that I am aware of) exclusively devoted to action flicks.  

the festival remains a showcase for the most exciting action films from around the globe and feature mind-blowing live stunt performances by the best in the business. The festival will also continue to pay tribute to Hollywood's stunt men and women, fight choreographers, and 2nd unit directors, whose fearlessness makes action films thrilling for audiences worldwide.  But they'd added a new recognition award:

The Chick Norris (if you forgive the name...) award honors the Best Female Action Star of the year, in a play off the attitude, spirit, athleticism and grit of Hollywood legend Chuck Norris.  For this, the inaugural year of the award, the recipient will be former American Gladiator, and ex-MMA star Gina Carano who can be currently seen punching through the lion's share of attractive A-List Hollywood men in Steven Soderbergh's Haywire.

No films have been announced as of yet for the festival, but Midnight Madness Programmer (and for us Toronto Locals, curator of Kung Fu Fridays) Colin Geddes will return as Festival Director, so you know that the film line up will be pretty kick-ass.