Kingz is a 2007 German short action science-fiction horror film[1] created by Benni Diez and Marinko Spahić about two young thugs (Olli Banjo [de] and Mathis Landwehr) who go to a nightclub to close out a drug deal only to find something is not quite right about some of the patrons, including the owner (Bela B); the ensuing mayhem involves martial arts, swordplay, and gunfighting.

And not everyone will leave it alive... Benni Diez developed a love for horror and science-fiction filmmaking in the early 1990s, and worked for agencies and production companies in Bavaria before enrolling at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in 2002, where he specialised in visual effects and animation.

[4][5] There, he first collaborated with Marinko Spahić, another student at Baden-Württemberg,[6] on a short mixed live action animation film titled Druckbolzen (Pressure Bolt, 2003),[7] made for €250.

[5] Mathis Landwehr was the first actor cast; Diez knew him from another production, and the actor's earlier work in the Kampfansage [de] short films, his martial arts and stunt abilities making him an obvious choice (he choreographed the action scenes himself and had connections with excellent stunt performers, two of whom were cast for the film).

[11] His character had been difficult to cast until it was decided to find someone who was active in hip hop, as opposed to an actor trying to mimic the look and style; Banjo's appearance and backstory were what they were looking for, and fortunately for them he was both available for principal photography and was agreeable to trying something new.

[6] A similar story applies with respect to the role of Nadine, Olli's little sister: she had to look young and innocent on the one hand, but also be an experienced actress, as her character undergoes severe psychological stress.

[1] Kingz was the first fictional short film ever to be shown on MTV Germany,[9] at thirty minutes past midnight, Hallowe'en night, 2007.

[14] the feature was conceived by Little Terrors short films festival founder Justin McConnell, who directed the narrative frame, and Indiecan Entertainment's Avi Federgreen.

Reviewing Kingz when it was screened as part of the 2008 Fantastic Fest Online, Jude Felton compared it favourably to From Dusk Till Dawn and Botched, saying it did well, especially given the short length:It's well shot, with some excellent camera, and is very slick looking throughout... the cast do a decent job even if the characters are on the clichéd side.

[3]Richard Sopko, reviewing the anthology release, took the opposite view, saying the film's production values are "subpar" when compared to the look of the other shorts, "but the story is interesting.