There are so many great films playing at this year's Austin Film Festival that we've been having trouble keeping track of them all. And one that flew completely under our radar until this morning is a Vietnamese martial arts film called The Rebel, which is screening at the Paramount tonight.

Billed as the "first ever Vietnamese martial arts film", The Rebel looks like all kinds of action-packed awesome. Secret agents? Check. Black magic? Check. Face-kicking violence? Check. This film looks to be right up our alley.

Directed by Charlie Nguyen, The Rebel stars the completely unrelated Dustin Nguyen, who some of you might know best as Harry from 21 Jump Street, but who also recently had a great role in the Bruce Lee-inspired mockumentary Finishing the Game, which just screened at this year's Fantastic Fest.

Complete details after the jump. Hopefully we'll see you there!

The Rebel | Dir. Truc 'Charlie' Nguyen
Tuesday, October 16th
9:30pm, Paramount Theatre
9:45pm, Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum

The first ever Vietnamese martial arts film, The Rebel is an absolute blast. Featuring incredible action sequences, espionage, romance, and even black magic, the film is an incredible collaboration between several noted Vietnamese American filmmakers and a high point of the emerging Viet Film Wave.

Vietnam in 1922 is under colonial French ruling, and anti-French rebellions by peasants have emerged all over the country. In response, the French have activated units of Vietnamese secret agents to track and destroy the rebels. Following an assassination of a high ranking French official, agent Le Van Cuong is assigned to seek and kill the notorious leader of the resistance. Cuong encounters a relentless revolutionary fighter and the daughter of the rebel leader. She is captured and imprisoned by Cuong's cruel superior, Sy. Cuong suspects that Sy knew about the attack on the French official before it happened, and could have prevented it. Suspicious, he warns Huy that her organization has a mole, helps break her out of prison and becomes a fugitive himself. Her fiery patriotism inspires Cuong, and he develops feelings for the young woman as well. Meanwhile, Sy is tracking Cuong and Huy, knowing the pair will lead him to Huy's father.

[AFF Bside Page]
[Official Website]