The forthcoming feature film Polaris has been highlighted at the prestigious Cannes film festival and market 2021 (Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes).

Shot outdoors during the winter in the Yukon, Polaris is a dystopian fantasy thriller.

It’s part of a select group of fantasy genre projects known as the “Fantastic 7” that are presented to potential festivals and distributors at the Cannes market.

Polaris was nominated as the sole Canadian film by the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF’s) Peter Kuplowsky, who programs that event’s Midnight Madness screenings.

“Cannes shines considerable global spotlight on Polaris,” those behind the film said in a statement.

“This represents significant confidence in this small film from Canada’s North, which in turn bodes well for growth of the industry in the region.”

Polaris is scheduled for release in 2022. It is a Yukon-led interprovincial co-production with partners in Ontario and Quebec.

Kirsten Carthew is the writer-director, while the producers are Carthew, Max Fraser, Paul Cadieux and Alyson Richards.

Cannes is both a festival that exhibits films and a market where filmmakers meet with film buyers – festivals and distributors.

“Kirsten Carthew’s Polaris first piqued our curiosity when it was pitched as ‘Mad Max set in the Arctic,” say TIFF choice selection notes.

“Such a premise ignites the imagination with so much potential. We applaud its ambition and especially the promise of a genre epic from a region that deserves more representation.

“Cinema in general could also use more protagonists that have been raised by a polar bear!”