Clint Lilley, of Santa Clarita and son of the late stuntman Jack Lilley, has captured the award for Best Western Short Film October 2025 by the Independent Shorts Awards.

“The Geisha and The Gunfighter” by Clint Lilley was also named a runner-up for Best Short of the Season, plus Platinum for Western Short and Actor, Zac Titus.

Clint Lilley is a director, producer and stuntman known for “AJ and the Queen” (2020), second unit director, “Westworld” (2016), stunts and “Get Shorty” (2017), stunt coordinator.

He also worked as stunt double for Jimmy Smits.

“The Geisha and The Gunfighter” was directed by Lilley who also wrote the script with Weston Barnwell.

The film, shot in the Santa Clarita Valley, is set in the lawless wastelands of America’s West.

The plot of “The Geisha and the Gunfighter” unfolds as a gripping tale of revenge and redemption. Samuel Kidd, a hardened gunfighter played by Zac Titus, crosses paths with Ichiryu, a mysterious and captivating geisha, played by Juri Watanabe.

A shared thirst for vengeance against a mutual enemy, draws them together.

Betrayals cut deep and under the sun-scorched skies, alliances are tested by a haunting past and relentless adversaries.

As the final showdown unveils the true motives of power and survival, Ichiryu and Kidd must confront their intertwined destinies, where love, magic and retribution collide in a deadly dance.

Lilley also served as an executive producer of the film.

In his stunt career Lilley has been nominated by the Actors Awards for his work as part of the stunt team on “Westworld.”

“2017 Nominee Actor

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series, ‘Westworld.'”

He was also nominated in 2002 in the Taurus World Stunt Awards.

“2002 Nominee Taurus Award

Hardest Hit

‘The Animal’ starring Rob Schneider (2001).

Stuntman is clotheslined off of running horse by tree branch.”

Tanner Conant, of SCVTV, worked on production for “The Geisha and the Gunfighter.”

“I joined Clint Lilley’s production to help as a Camera PA for an overnight shoot at the Agua Dulce Movie Ranch,” said Conant. “The production used drones, horses and fake firearms to create an immersive effect. Helping on film sets, it is cool to see how the magic happens. Working on ‘The Geisha and The Gunfighter’ was a fun experience, as I brought my SCVTV and freelance filmmaking background to this production.”

Lilley’s father, Santa Clarita Valley resident Jack Lilley (1933-2025) was a prolific American stuntman, animal coordinator and actor known for his work on numerous classic Westerns, especially “Little House on the Prairie.”

He began his career as a stunt performer in the 1950s, working on hundreds of films and shows, including “Blazing Saddles” and “Gunsmoke.”

Lilley had over 280 acting and stunt credits, with a career spanning more than seven decades before his death at age 91 on March 19, 2025.

To view scenes from “The Geisha and the Gunfighter” visit www.instagram.com/reel/DQ2PdMbkdME/?igsh=NjZiM2M3MzIxNA%3D%3D.

View the “The Geisha and the Gunfighter” trailer at https://independentshortsawards.com/award-winners-october-2025/.

The Independent Shorts Awards is a Los Angeles-based international short film festival, hosting monthly editions that serve as qualifiers for its Annual Awards.

For more information on the Independent Shorts Awards visit https://independentshortsawards.com.

The poster for “The Geisha and the Gunfighter.”

Behind the scenes at the Aqua Dulce location of “The Geisha and the Gunfighter.” Courtesy Tanner Conant.