Tom Hair as Martin Cohen in The Final Fight
Todd J. Stein The Final Fight Writer/Director
The Final Fight Cast Promo
Upper East Site Coverage of The Final Fight
Writer-director Todd J. Stein's deeply personal film about a son's fight to save his father now heads to the film festival circuit.
To see the trailer reaching so many people tells me that this story belongs to more than just my family.”— Todd J. Stein, Writer / Director of The Final FightNEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, August 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — NEW YORK — The official trailer for The Final Fight, a new feature inspired by writer-director Todd J. Stein's real-life struggle to win his father’s release from an unwanted guardianship, has garnered over 11,000 views within its first seven days of release.
Drawing from the experience of Stein’s father, Marvin Stein—a former Golden Gloves boxer—The Final Fight turns an extraordinary family crisis into a deeply human narrative exploring father-son bonds, aging, justice, forgiveness, and the systems meant to shield the most vulnerable among us. “At its heart, The Final Fight has always been about a father and a son,” Stein said. “What began as my fight to protect my father became a story about love, forgiveness, and what we owe the people who once protected us. To see the trailer reaching so many people tells me that this story belongs to more than just my family.”
In the final years of his life, Marvin Stein was the subject of a guardianship petition filed by members of his wife’s family, sparking an extraordinary battle over his liberty, dignity, and future. Long before the film existed, the real events behind The Final Fight attracted national coverage in a New York Times article by journalist John Leland, titled “The Fight of This Old Boxer's Life Was With His Own Family.” But Marvin Stein’s greatest fight would not take place inside a boxing ring—it would be the struggle for his freedom, his dignity, and his connection to his son. In 2020, Marvin said of his son: “If it wasn’t for my son, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
FROM TRUE EVENTS TO THE SCREEN
In The Final Fight, Hollywood producer Scott Cohen returns home convinced he can rescue his aging father, Martin Cohen, only to discover that his own power and influence are powerless against a system already surrounding them. At its core, the film follows a son trying to save his father before time runs out—and realizing their struggle is about far more than winning. It’s about love. Regret. The complicated ties between parents and children. And ultimately, forgiveness.
The completed short film functions both as an independent work and as a proof of concept for Stein’s award-winning feature-length screenplay, giving audiences an initial look at a larger story shaped by these remarkable true events.
A SKILLED NEW YORK ENSEMBLE
Josh Davis (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway) portrays Scott Cohen, with Tom Hair playing his father, Martin Cohen. Trini Alvarado (The Staircase) plays journalist Paige Carson, a character loosely inspired by New York Times reporter John Leland. The cast also includes Ryan Spahn (Succession, Elsbeth), James Ciccone (The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins), and Maggie Reed (Only Murders in the Building, FBI: Most Wanted). Renowned New York casting director Adrienne Stern assembled the ensemble. “We looked for actors who could honor the truth of the family’s experience and tell it in the most meaningful way possible,” Stern said of the casting process.
THE CREATIVE FORCES BEHIND THE FINAL FIGHT
Stein makes his directorial debut from his own screenplay, collaborating with Director of Photography Leland Krane to define the film’s visual style. Morgan Alexandra Neville shaped the final edit, while award-nominated composer Cameron Adams—a Yale University and USC Screen Scoring graduate—produced the original score. Mario Gutierrez designed the film’s soundscape, with Peter Waggoner handling the final mix. Veteran visual-effects artist Scott Winston and his Danger Pixel team, whose credits include The Greatest Showman, True Detective, and Boardwalk Empire, managed the visual effects. Final color grading was completed by Jake White (Obsession) through Company 3. Producer Marlene Schneider, former Vice President of the National Council on Aging, contributes a distinctive viewpoint that links filmmaking with advocacy for issues affecting older Americans and their families.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
With the film now finished, The Final Fight is entering the festival submission phase while the team begins discussions with producers, production companies, sales representatives, entertainment publicists, festival strategists, financiers, and advocacy organizations about expanding the project and bringing the full-length story to the screen. “This film began with one father and one son,” Stein said. “We hope it speaks to every family that has faced the difficult questions of aging, dignity, control, and what we’re willing to fight for when someone we love can no longer fight alone.”
ABOUT THE FINAL FIGHT
Based on extraordinary true events, The Final Fight follows a Hollywood producer who goes back home to rescue his aging father from an unwanted guardianship, only to realize that his own clout and resources cannot protect him from a system already closing in. What starts as a battle for justice becomes a confrontation with family, failure, love, and the boundaries of control. The short film stands alone as a complete work and also serves as a proof of concept for the award-winning feature screenplay.
Colin Harp
Team Stein
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The Final Fight Official Trailer
