CANADA | 2022 | FANTASY | 89 MINUTES | 4K | RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

DIRECTOR: KC Carthew
WRITER: KC Carthew
PRODUCER: Max Fraser, Paul Cadieux, Alyson Richards and KC Carthew
CAST: Viva Lee, Muriel Dutil and Khamisa Wilsher

NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND

Also available on BELL FIBE and VIDEOTRON on demand

A young girl raised by a polar bear pursues her destiny after escaping capture by brutal warriors intent on killing her mother.

Set in 2144 against the harsh backdrop of a frozen wasteland, SUMI, a human child raised by MAMA POLAR BEAR, narrowly escapes capture from a brutal MORAD hunting party and sets out across the vast winter landscape. When Sumi stumbles across FROZEN GIRL, an unlikely friendship is forged and together they race ahead of the vindictive hunters towards the only guiding light Sumi knows, the POLARIS star.

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

  • FIN Atlantic International Film Festival (Canada)

  • Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival (Canada)

  • Beyond Fest (USA)

  • Fantasmagoria International Film Competition (Columbia)

  • TOHorror Fantastic Film Fest (Torino)

  • SITGES - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantastic de Catalunya (Spain)

  • Yellowknife International Film Festival (Canada)

  • Blood in the Snow Film Festival (Canada)

  • Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival (Canada)

  • Imagine Film Festival (Pays-Bas)

  • Available Light Film Festival (Canada)

  • Liidlii Kue Film Festival (Canada)

  • Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma (Canada)

  • Dawson City Film Festival (Canada)

  • Les étranges nuits du cinéma (Switzerland)

  • Calgary Underground Film Festival Canada

  • Seattle Make Believe (USA)

  • RIFF (Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Final Girls (Berlin, Germany)

  • Motel X Lisbon (Portugal)

  • Imagine Film Fest (Netherlands)

  • Soho Horror (UK)

  • Fantasia Film Festival 2022 (Canada)
    – Opening Film & World Premiere

  • Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival (Australia)
    – Winner, Feature Film Audience Award
    – Winner, Feature Film
    – Winner, Best Actress
    – Career Achievement Award, Animal Actor

  • Whistler Film Festival 2022 (Canada)
    – Winner, Best Cinematography
    – Competition, Best Canadian Feature Film

  • Make Believe Seattle 2023 (USA)
    – Visionnary Award, Director KC Carthew

  • Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth 2023 (Canada)
    – Winner, Best Picture

  • Leo Awards 2023 (Canada)
    – Winner, Best Performance, Viva Lee
    – Winner, Best Supporting performance, Khamisa Wilsher
    – Winner, Best Youth Performance, Viva Lee

PRESS & REVIEWS

“A fast-paced, all female eco-action fantasy”
— SCREENDAILY

“A beautiful, violent and compelling tale…incredible performances and world-building, Polaris is a worthy entry in post-apocalyptic cinema”
— RUE MORGUE

“A treat to the senses without fail… profound, transformative”
— HIGH ON FILMS

“Polaris is one of the most unique cinematic experiences… an indie sci-fi eco-adventure not to be missed. Just as David Cronenberg brought some “new flesh” to Canadian horror, KC Carthew could do the same”
— PAJBA

“Cinematic par excellence!”
— FORBES

“Like “Waterworld” or “Mad Max” but set in the Canadian Yukon. “Polaris” goes even further than those movies... A bold vision about human nature.”
— ROGEREBERT.COM

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

Polaris tells the origin story of a world gone to shame that builds from themes of environmental stewardship/horror. It is inspired by eco-feminism and the need for significant cultural and sustainable change. The film portrays these themes with an entirely female cast – including the Polar Bear. 

It is a dystopian world viewed through the lens of an extraordinary 10 year old girl, Sumi, who offers a different perspective. As someone raised by an apex predator, Sumi has an intimate relationship with nature and extraordinary survival skills: she can speak with animals and trees but has not yet learned to speak with people. Other humans speak fictional languages to represent this gap in understanding. This creates a primarily non-verbal experience that is strengthened by not having subtitles. My intention is to place audiences in the story world and encourage an emotionally immersive type of film-watching that is more empathy-based, intuitive and universal.

KC CARTHEW – WRITER, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER

KC Carthew’s multiple-award winning debut feature, The Sun at Midnight (2017) starring Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs), sold worldwide and was released theatrically in Canada, the USA and Australia. Recognized for spectacular world-building in her visual storytelling, KC excels in bringing forth award-winning performances, cultivating innovation and pushing both technical and narrative elements to new heights in her work. Polaris is her second feature film.

“A singular vision of a post-apocalyptic world.”
— FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL


IMDB