Director R.T. Thorne’s debut feature film, the post-apocalyptic thriller 40 Acres, is currently filming in Sudbury, Ont.

Principal photography on the film began mid-September and wraps on Oct. 26, according to a news release.

40 Acres is directed by Thorne, who is also a co-writer alongside Glenn Taylor. Jennifer Holness of Hungry Eyes Media is producing, while executive producers include Thorne, L.A. and Toronto-based prodco Fela’s Taj Critchlow, and star Danielle Deadwyler.

The film is being produced under the SAG-AFTRA interim independent film agreement, with the generous participation of Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund’s Pilot Program for Racialized Communities, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, Crave, Ontario Creates, CBC and producer investments. The film’s total budget was not disclosed.

Toronto’s Mongrel Media holds distribution rights for the film in Canada, said the release.

40 Acres stars Deadwyler (Till), Kataem O’Connor (The Way Home), Michael Greyeyes (1923) and Milcania Diaz-Rojas (The Bold Type).

The film centres on a family, the last descendants of African American farmers who settled in rural Canada in 1875 after the first Civil War, as they “make their last stand against a band of cannibals intent on taking their home” in a world decimated by famine.

“Over the past four years of developing, financing and now producing 40 Acres, I have never lost sight of what an incredible story and script it is,” said Holness in a statement.

Deadwyler is represented by Play Management, Paradigm, Ziffren Brittenham and Shelter PR.

Pictured (L-R): Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Greyeyes, Kataem O’Connor, Jaeda Leblanc and Haile Amare. Photo by Rafy