Nathan Geering is a multi-award winning film director and producer. His films have won over 30 awards including Best International Short Film, Best European Short Film, Best Director, Best Thriller, Best Action, Best Audio Description, Achievement in Accessibility and many more.

His unique style of action design has got the attention of some major names in the industry and recently Nathan has completed training with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team in Beijing, specializing in advanced action film making. Combining world class knowledge with his own creativity Nathan has created his own style of Break-Fu combining elements of breakdance with kung fu to give never seen before movement dynamics to the screen. In 2025 Nathan utilised his unique style of Break-Fu to became a 3 time world champion at the prestigious martial arts tournament “Battle of the Dragons”.

In the last year Nathan has completed directing 4 feature films of which 2 are action films and 2 are from the horror genre. Nathan was also the Creative Director of the 2017 Special Olympics Opening Ceremony. He is passionate about making film and fight choreography accessible to people with disabilities and utilize his expertise in accessibility to ensure this is achieved to the highest of standards.

We had the opportunity to interview Nathan about his journey, directing a variety of films, incorporating Break-Fu, favorite inspirations, and much more!

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Ipswich in the UK but my family heritage is a mixed one with on my mother’s side my grandparents were from Antigua and Jamaica and on my father’s side my grandparents had a mixture is Swiss/Italian and British.

When did you first get into acting?

I started acting at school in school plays etc. and then when I was in my mid 20s I started doing a lot of theatre and run my own Hip-Hop theatre company. I got into acting for film 3 years ago.

What was the exact moment you realized breakdancing footwork and freezes could seamlessly merge with traditional Kung Fu forms?

I’ve always known of the connection between kung fu and breakin as a lot of Breakers in the 70s and 80s were watching old skool kung fu movies and then incorporated the moves they saw in those movies into their dance movements. A large part of breakin was born from kung fu and so the two go hand in hand. In 2020 I started learning fire spinning and Chinese weapons such as staff, sword, 9 section chain whip and rope dart. As soon as I learned these movements I would see how I could further develop the techniques using breakin movements. Bboys and bgirls are very good at sustaining momentum through our power moves. So where momentum would start and stop for some traditional kung fu movements I developed ways to sustain momentum through incorporating certain power moves and their principles.

Breakdancing relies heavily on flow and rhythm, whereas traditional Kung Fu focuses on intent and strikes. How did you reconcile these two philosophies to create a combat system that is both cinematic and functionally effective?

The two art forms possess so much similarity. For example the flow and intention of the snake style of kung fu has parallels with the movement qualities of waving which is part of popping. Also Chen style Tai Chi is known for its transitions between slow movement and abrupt explosive energy which is also expressed within “Hitting” which is another element of popping. Floor based kung fu forms such as Di Tang Quan, Earth dragon and scorpion techniques all have movements that are also found within breakin. Monkey style too has a lot of parallels with footwork and swipe moments found within breakin. The great thing about combining kung fu and breakin is that they are both visually dynamic styles and so work extremely well for camera. As an artform Break-Fu mainly focuses on the “Art” element of Martial Arts. Many modern martial arts systems focus on the martial/fighting aspects which has a lot of value but martial arts goes way beyond fighting. It also nurtures the soul and gives the opportunity to honestly express yourself as a human being. It gives you the chance to get to know yourself deeply in terms of body mind and spirit which in turn gives you deeper insights into other people.

Hip-Hop culture does the same and can help people to express themselves through Breakin, Emceein’ Dj’in, graffiti etc. If you want to take things deeper to a deeper level, a lot of people don’t realize that beatboxing is the same as meditation as it’s controlled breathing. I also run a charity where we teach bedside beatboxing in children’s hospitals as a means of distress tolerance and emotional regulation. We also teach breakin to blind and partially sighted people as a means of injury prevention and to improve spatial awareness. I also teach disabled people screen fighting. No matter if you’re blind or a wheelchair user I can teach you how to unleash your inner action hero. Hopefully through doing this it will open more job opportunities for disabled people to become action actors.

How do you design fight choreography specifically for visual impact on camera?

They way I design fight choreography starts with rhythm which is something I learned from training with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. If a fight scene has good rhythm then the audience will be stimulated by what they are seeing and hearing (through sound design). Now good rhythm in screen fighting doesn’t mean even rhythm but in actual fact it’s broken rhythm that keeps the audience engaged. I also design my fight choreography to curate the audience’s breathing journey through the fight scene. For example if I want the audience to feel short of breath at particular moments I’ll have fast paced choreography and then when I want them to be able to catch their breath I’ll have a pause in the choreography and add a character beat which also gives the audience a chance to process the action that they are seeing.

It is important to take the audience on a journey and for the characters to also go on a journey during the fight scene. How has the character developed during the fight scene is always a question I ask myself when designing action. The next thing I take into account is what shots are best to use where in order to show each movement and choreography at it’s best. I don’t tend to shoot much coverage but prefer to shoot as how I envisage the edit will look.

What is your philosophy on using environment and props during an action scene?

I think it definitely showcases your creativity and resourcefulness but I don’t always choose to utilize an environment as sometimes it’s just good to see 2 badass martial artists showing their fighting skills without the environment lending a hand. Also if it’s done too much then everything ends up looking like a Jackie Chan movie. Jackie’s Stunt Team trained me so it’s easy for me to use my environment in a fight scene but I feel there’s a time and place to do it and that is usually determined by the story. For me the biggest priority is to ensure the action serves the story instead of showcasing something that looks cool but doesn’t push the story forwards.

The Lock In captivated audiences at Cannes Film Festival. How did you go about capturing that epic energy on set?

I was fortunate enough to know all the cast and crew who were either part of my stunt team or actors and film makers I had worked with on smaller projects. My whole thing was (and still is) I want to work with people who are of the same heart and mind as me. I knew my team had skill and passion and so I wanted to provide a platform for them to shine. We are all good friends and know that we can laugh and joke as much as possible between takes but once I yell “Action” it’s serious business and everyone is locked in……but as soon as I say “cut” we go right back to laughing and joking.

The way I see it is we are here doing something we love so let’s make it a positive experience for everyone. I find that when you make a positive environment for your team you get the best out of them and build an unbreakable bond. I think that kind of bond is so valuable because it really translates onto the screen. We didn’t have a huge budget to make the The Lock In but we have huge hearts and made priceless memories to last a lifetime.

How do you ensure the humor lands without taking away from the stakes of the action?

Good question. With this film I wanted the audience to have fun. It’s a film that doesn’t take itself seriously but it does take it’s action seriously. It’s really through the design of the characters that I was able to balance the humour with the stakes of the action. Johnny is a very serious character and handles a lot of the action and so you really get a sense of the stakes of the action through his journey. Whereas with Drew’s character you really get a chance to breathe and have some genuine comic relief from the serious action when you witness his response to the chaos that he is caught in the middle of.

Pacing both characters journeys was so important and understanding when comedy needed to be injected to lift a scene was a delicate balance. I absolutely loved writing this film and spent most night’s laughing so much at the dialogue as it developed. Creating this film definitely had it’s challenges but the joy it gave to me and the team more than made it worthwhile.

What has been the biggest lesson in getting Break-Fu Productions off the ground?

I think the biggest lesson has been, to build a solid team takes time. Also to trust your team and delegate to them so all the work doesn’t sit squarely on my shoulders. I’ve learned that in order to realize the full potential of the company we all need to find ways to be inspired by each other. With our company we understand that if one rises we all rise. And because of that we live by a creed which is “Motivation by Inspiration”.

What does success mean to you? What are your rules for success?

Success to me means to live a life being true to your authentic self. My rules for success are:

1) Be excited by the unknown. Most people are afraid of the unknown but it can also be an exciting place to operate and exist within. The unknown has infinite potential.

2) Security will kill you. If you always play safe you will never realize your full potential.

3) Turn up for yourself every day. Nobody wants your dream as much as you. So it’s up to you to make your dreams come true. So every day do things that contribute to you fulfilling your dreams. The energy you spend playing it safe is energy that could be spent going after your dreams.

4) The discourse you use is super important. Try to eradicate words and phrases such as “I wont be successful until…….” “it’s just” “but”. These are all procrastinating words and phrases that keep you from achieving your goals. Replace those words with “doing” words and your world will change. As soon as you are “doing” you are “becoming” rather than “waiting”. Even if its day one of your journey you are “doing”. For example as soon as I decided I was going to be a director I called myself a director. I didn’t wait for permission, I gave myself permission…..and the rest just fell into place.

5) Let your authentic self guide your way (if you dont know who that is, just listen to your inner child).

The Fox Magazine is all about inspiration, what/who inspires you the most?

My children and people who are achieving their dreams. Their success motivates me to succeed. As I said before “Motivation by Inspiration”

However, my favourite inspiration would have to be Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung because they listened to their authentic selves and helped paved the way through modern action cinema. My children inspire me as they teach me to see the world through new perspectives. For example until my daughters pointed it out to me I had no idea that a satsuma looks like a baby pumpkin! I also take a lot of inspiration from nature and how things exist just as they are. Not matter what happens nature finds it’s way and that in turn inspires me to find my way in life.

What’s next on the horizon for Break-Fu Productions, and what kind of stories or fight styles are you eager to explore next?

So The Lock In just won the award for Best Action Actor and came Runner Up for Best Feature Film at Austin Action film festival. Next up is it’s UK premiere which has already sold out a month before the screening so it’s an exciting time. There film is also screening at Urban Action Showcase in New York on November the 14th. It also has got US distribution and will be on streaming platforms that same month so be sure  towatch out for it.

We also have an action thriller that’s currently in post production called Echoes of the Past. The film star’s Victoria Vee who is Guyana’s first action actress. We also have a slate of action and horror films we will be developing in the near future. These include Break-Fu which is a movie that will fully showcase the Break-Fu Style of action and Flaming Assassin which is a feature film based on a multi-award winning short film I directed by the same title. That film will have a big budget and will showcase martial arts combined with different fire weapons such as fire swords, staffs and rope dart……with a little Break-Fu mixed in for good measure ;)

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