Mark Atkins Movies, TV Shows, and Filmography
Mark Atkins
Directing
Biography
Award winning filmmaker Mark Atkins began his career working on blue chip natural history films for the BBC and National Geographic as an assistant cameraman for his aunt and uncle, acclaimed natural history filmmakers Paul Atkins and Grace Niska Atkins of Moana Productions. Working with Paul and Gracie, Mark was part of the camera team on Moana Productions’ National Geographic specials SECRET KILLERS OF MONTEREY BAY which won a CINE Masters Series Award. Mark received additional photography credit on Moana Productions GREAT WHITE SHARK which won an Emmy Award and Cine Golden Eagle for cinematography. Atkins was accepted into the University of Central Florida’s Motion Picture Program from which he graduated in 1995 with a B.A. in Motion Picture Production. While still an undergraduate, Atkins wrote, directed and produced his first feature film, the 35mm Southern Gothic mystery, NIGHT ORCHID — Winner of Best First Feature Film at the New Orleans Film Festival and Golden Medallion for Best Feature and Golden Lion for Best of Show at the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival. NIGHT ORCHID was picked up for distribution as part of then fledgling distributor, the Asylum’s First Rites Program. Subsequent to NIGHT ORCHID, Atkins became one of The Asylum’s most in-demand writer-directors and cinematographers, directing fourteen features and serving as cinematographer on over thirty since. To date, Atkins has written thirteen screenplays which have been successfully produced. Atkins has directed eighteen features with subjects ranging from fantasy (MERLIN and the WAR OF THE DRAGONS) to horror (HAUNTING OF WINCHESTER HOUSE), comedy (SAND SHARKS), science fiction (ANDROID COP), action adventure (ALLAN QUATERMAIN) and thrillers (EVIL EYES). His work has taken him across the globe from Rapa Nui, Egypt, Figi, South Africa, Belize, Iceland, Burma and Tierra del Fuego. He shot his first 3D feature film in 2009. Atkins served as underwater cinematographer for 30K LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, the documentary feature INTO THE AIR, and AWAKEN. Atkins also served as cinematographer on DISNEY’s animation live-action hybrid, TAKE 2 with PHINEUS and FERB. Atkins’ films have been successful in television and film markets worldwide. His Syfy Original Movie, BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES was the third movie of 2011 with over 2 million viewers and the most popular with the 25 to 54 demographic. Many of his films have been the top renters including MERLIN AND THE WAR OF THE DRAGONS ( #41 video rentals in Germany for 2009). In 2010, FIRE DRAGON CHRONICLES: Dragon Quest (#3 in Blu-ray Rental ranking for its German distributor). SAND SHARKS, the #1 title for its German distributor in 2012. Atkins films are consistently top market performers.
Filmography Movies
Acting
Night Orchid
Clay Doyle, a drifter haunted by the ability to see violent events from the past, wanders into a small Florida town and falls in love with the ethereal Sarah Miller, despite increasingly disturbing visions of murder and decay.
Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever
A celebration of slasher cinema - from PSYCHO to the present day, with a focus on highlighting many of the genre's forgotten cult classics, deconstructing how to survive a slice and dice movie and meditating upon why it is almost always a final girl and rarely a final guy... this is a documentary which is designed for both the biggest fan of "mad maniac" movies and the person who may only have seen HALLOWEEN and SCREAM. Either way, this is a documentary that proves the SLASHER FILM is truly FOREVER!
Sharksploitation
The ultimate deep dive into the world of shark cinema: filmmakers, critics, scholars and conservationists explore the weird, wild cinematic legacy of sharks on film and audiences' undying fascination with these misunderstood creatures.
Production
Princess of Mars
Based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a US soldier finds himself inexplicably transported to Mars in the midst of a war between two alien races.
Princess of Mars
Based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a US soldier finds himself inexplicably transported to Mars in the midst of a war between two alien races.
Princess of Mars
Based on the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a US soldier finds himself inexplicably transported to Mars in the midst of a war between two alien races.
Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls
Filmed on location in South Africa, a retelling of H. Rider Haggard's classic novel "King Solomon's Mines," featuring the adventurer who was the inspiration for Indiana Jones.
Halloween Night
A horribly burned man escapes from a mental institution and terrorizes teenagers at a party.
Merlin and the War of the Dragons
In 5th Century Britian, a young Merlin struggles for his place in his known land under the tutelage of The Mage, a local wizard whom sees the young man's potential for magic, as well as face off against his evil former friend, Vendiger, whom plots with a feudal warlord king to conquer all of Britian using an army of flying dragons, and only Merlin with the alliance of the local Prince Uther and Ingraine and a pair of mystical goddesses, can have the power to stop the evil from taking over the land.
Dragonquest
When an ancient warlord summons a mythological beast, a young hero must complete a series of quests to awaken the dragon that will defeat the monster.
The Final Level: Escaping Rancala
When an arcade manager realizes her brother has been transported into a dangerous video game, she and her two best friends follow him into the virtual world, battling dangerous creatures and a warlord who will stop at nothing to keep them in the game and make them part of his army.
Sand Sharks
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the beach, it appears that our large fishy friends have found a way to chomp on you when you're chilling out on the sand too!
Dragon Crusaders
In this sword-and-sorcery extravaganza, a group of marauding Knights Templar suffers a curse that transforms them into monsters, driving them to square off against an evil dragon obsessed with annihilating the entire world.