Filipino action noir Shadow Transit is set to make waves with an international cast featuring UK-based singer-songwriter Qymira and US-based, Indonesian-born actor Yoshi Sudarso. Directed by Pedring Lopez, known for his work on the Netflix action film Maria, this marks Lopez’s first English-language feature.
Scheduled to begin filming in July, Shadow Transit will be shot across Manila and Hong Kong, with a co-production between Hong Kong’s ACT3 and Lopez’s Manila-based BlackOps Studios Asia. ACT3, a newly formed production company, is focused on delivering filmmaker-driven genre cinema in both English and Chinese languages. Shadow Transit is their debut feature film.
Qymira, who is making her feature film debut, has previously dazzled audiences with her sold-out UK-Ireland tour alongside Boyzlife. Her music, including the hit single Labyrinth of Life, which peaked at No. 3 on the UK Dance Chart, has earned her recognition. The artist’s tracks in Portuguese also topped the Bahia radio charts in Brazil, ahead of her performance at the Salvador Carnival.
Yoshi Sudarso, an accomplished actor in action films, brings his experience from movies like Bullet Train, The Paper Tigers, and Buffalo Boys, the latter being Singapore’s official entry to the 91st Academy Awards.
Lopez, who recently wrapped the prison drama Sellblock, is also working on upcoming international thrillers Blood Passage and JI. The director describes Shadow Transit as a visceral thriller set against the backdrop of Manila’s underground DJ scene, red-light districts, and drug corridors. It follows the intense journey of survival, violence, and emotional reckoning, exploring the fragile nature of trust in a chaotic world.
The film will be shot on location, utilizing handheld cinematography, naturalistic lighting, and an immersive visual style. International sales for the film will kick off at this year’s Marche du Films in Cannes.
Produced by BlackOps’s Rex Lopez and Maia Yambao-Lopez, Shadow Transit also features Sonny Sison, who worked on Maria and Erik Matti’s Buy Bust, as both action choreographer and producer. Cinematography will be handled by Noel Teehankee, whose credits include Hello, Love, Again, the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time. The film’s score will be composed by DJ Steelo and Mango Room Studios, who previously scored Lopez’s Sellblock, fusing Manila’s underground culture with a 90s hip-hop inspired sound.
Sudarso expressed his excitement for the project: “I’ve been waiting for a story that brings me back to the Philippines. Shadow Transit shows the beauty and mystery of Manila, and I can’t wait to share that with the world.”
Qymira added: “This film is more than just my first lead role. It’s raw, human, and artistically wild. It’s a brutal, unforgettable story of survival, and bringing it to life is a true honor.”
Lopez reflected on the significance of the project: “Making my first English-language feature meant pushing the story beyond borders and into the heart of survival – capturing the fast, bruised, and human essence of the streets.”
