EXCLUSIVE: Calgary-based Peterson Polaris Corp has come on board dystopian action horror feature What’s Left Of Us, directed by Filipino-American filmmaker Tyrone Acierto, alongside the Philippines’ Fusee and Acierto’s CineBandits.
The project recently received the TAICCA Focus Asia Co-production Award at the Far East Film Festival’s All Genres Project Market in Udine, Italy.
Set to be filmed in the Philippines with an international cast, the story follows a family struggling to survive in a world haunted by a memory-erasing infection, where the fight for survival becomes a battle for identity, truth and the remnants of history.
Acierto, whose work often explores identity, survival and socio-political themes, has previously directed two features, The Grave Bandits and Watch Me Kill, and founded CineBandits to focus on genre-driven stories rooted in Southeast Asian narratives.
Peterson Polaris Corp is headed by award-winning producer and director Michael Peterson, whose credits include Bloodthirsty, which closed Fantastic Fest in 2020, and Harpoon (2019), which premiered at Rotterdam and was named one of the top horror films of the decade by Rotten Tomatoes.
His upcoming projects include Rob Grant’s This Too Shall Pass and Lowell Dean’s Dark Match. As a director, Peterson’s credits include Lloyd The Conqueror, Knuckleball and exorcist horror Shadow Of God, picked up by Shudder this year. In 2022, he was nominated for the CMPA Indiescreen Established Producer Award.
What’s Left Of Us is produced by Wilfredo Manalang, founder of Manila-based production outfit Fusee, known for bridging North American and Asian markets. The company’s recent projects include Cannes Un Certain Regard 2022 selection Plan 75, directed by Chie Hayakawa, whose second film Renoir is premiering here in Cannes competition; Duong Dieu Linh’s Don’t Cry Butterfly, which premiered in Venice Critics’ Week, and Richard V. Somes’ action feature Topakk, which premiered at Locarno.
“Tyrone and Will have created a rich action-horror script that we are proud to be involved with,” said Peterson. “Bringing the creative teams from both Canada and the Philippines is something we have been exploring for a few years, and this is the project that can showcase the creative power this collaboration can conjure and create movies that will attract global audiences.”
Acierto said: “I’m beyond thrilled that Peterson Polaris Inc is coming on board as part of the producing team for What’s Left Of Us. Their support means the world to us, and having partners who truly believe in the vision makes this journey even more powerful. We can’t wait to bring this story to life together.”
“What’s Left Of Us is a deeply personal and timely project for us,” said Manalang. “It’s a dystopian reimagining of the search for truth in an age when reality itself feels increasingly unstable. In a world overwhelmed by disinformation and blurred narratives, memory, identity and even history are constantly under siege. Though the film lives in a speculative space, it is a powerful reflection of the anxieties we face today. We are incredibly proud to be telling this story alongside our visionary collaborators at CineBandits and Peterson Polaris.”
Fusee managing director George Sommerrock emphasized the significance of expanding Canadian-Philippine film partnerships: “After our recent positive experience with Le Foyer Films, a Montreal-based production company, on the yet to be released film Elsewhere At Night by Marianne Métivier, we are thrilled to have found another Canadian company to produce with.
“Since Fusee has been working closely now with North America and Asia, it makes sense for us to bridge our efforts to ensure a wider audience for the projects in our pipeline.”
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