EXCLUSIVE: UK-based singer-songwriter Qymira and US-based, Indonesian-born actor Yoshi Sudarso are heading the cast of Filipino action noir Shadow Transit, the first English-language film from Pedring Lopez, known for Netflix original action film Maria.
Scheduled to start shooting in July in Manila and Hong Kong, Shadow Transit is a co-production between Hong Kong-based ACT3 and Lopez’s Manila-based BlackOps Studios Asia. ACT3 is a new financing and production operation that aims to make filmmaker-driven genre cinema in both English and Chinese languages. Shadow Transit is the company’s first feature.
Qymira, who is making her feature film debut with the project, recently completed a sold-out UK-Ireland tour alongside Boyzlife. Her hit singles include Labyrinth of Life, which peaked at No. 3 on the UK Dance Chart. She also sings tracks in Portuguese, which have topped Brazil’s Bahia radio charts at No. 1 ahead of her performance at the Salvador Carnival.
Sudarso has credits in action films such as Bullet Train, The Paper Tigers and Buffalo Boys, with the latter being selected as Singapore’s official entry to the 91st Academy Awards.
In addition to Maria, Lopez recently wrapped prison drama Sellblock and is attached to upcoming international thrillers Blood Passage and JI.
Set against the backdrop of Manila’s underground DJ scene, red-light districts and drug corridors, Shadow Transit is described as “a chase through survival, violence, and emotional reckoning – a grounded, visceral thriller exploring the fragility of trust in a chaotic world.”
The film will be shot almost entirely on location with handheld cinematography, naturalistic lighting, and an immersive visual style. International sales on the film will commence at the Marche du Films at this year’s Cannes.
BlackOps’s Rex Lopez and Maia Yambao-Lopez are producing the film with Sonny Sison, who worked on Maria and Erik Matti’s Buy Bust, serving as action choreographer and producer.
Cinematography is by Noel Teehankee, whose credits include Hello, Love, Again, the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time. The film’s score is composed by DJ Steelo and Mango Room Studios, who also scored the 90s hip-hop inspired soundtrack for Lopez’ Sellblock, fused with Manila’s underground culture.
Sudarso said: “I’ve been waiting for a project to bring me back to the Philippines. A story that shows the beauty and mystery of Manila like this one just felt like the perfect project. I can’t wait to traverse the streets of Manila and show the world its beauty.”
Qymira said: “Shadow Transit is more than just my first lead role — it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of in a film: raw, human, wildly artistic, and unflinchingly brutal. It’s a story of survival that hits you in the gut and stays in your heart. Getting the chance to bring this to life is more than a dream — it’s an absolute honor.”
Lopez said: “Shadow Transit is a film that lives in the chaos of the streets – fast, bruised, and human. Making my first English-language feature meant chasing the story beyond borders and into the heart of survival.”
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