First Shift

First Shift is a 2024 American crime drama film produced, written, and directed by the German filmmaker Uwe Boll. It stars Gino Anthony Pesi as a lone NYPD officer who is forced to team up with a new recruit, played by Kristen Renton, on his next duty dealing with violent crimes in New York City. James McMenamin, Willy C. Carpenter, Brandi Bravo, and Daniel Sauli are featured in supporting roles. First Shift marks Boll's formal return to filmmaking after eight years on hiatus from the industry, during which time he set up a now-defunct upscale restaurant in Vancouver and directed a documentary. Filming on First Shift, which consisted of a non-union crew, began and completed in March 2023, on location in New York City. Despite legal hurdles over allegations of unfair labor practices committed on set (which Boll denied), it premiered in his native Germany at the Independent Days International Filmfest on April 10, 2024, and had a simultaneous release in the United States and Canada on August 30, 2024.