40 Acres (film)
2024 film directed by R. T. Thorne
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40 Acres is a 2024 Canadian post-apocalyptic thriller film written and directed by R. T. Thorne. The film stars Danielle Deadwyler as a matriarch of descendants of African-American farmers who settled in 1875 in rural Canada after the first Civil War. Two hundred years later, they are trying to survive in a decimated future.
- R. T. Thorne
- Glenn Taylor
- Danielle Deadwyler
- Kataem O'Connor
- Michael Greyeyes
- Milcania Diaz-Rojas
- Leenah Robinson
| 40 Acres | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | R. T. Thorne |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Jennifer Holness |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Jeremy Benning |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Todor Kobakov |
Production companies | Hungry Eyes Film & Television |
| Distributed by | Mongrel Media |
Release dates |
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Running time | 113 minutes[1] |
| Country | Canada |
| Languages |
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| Budget | $8 million[2] |
| Box office | $775,204[3][4] |
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024,[5] and was theatrically released in Canada on July 4, 2025 by Mongrel Media.[6][7] It received generally positive reviews from critics, receiving nominations at the Black Reel Awards, NAACP Image Awards and winning three Directors Guild of Canada Awards, including the Impact Award for Thorne.
Cast
- Danielle Deadwyler as Hailey Freeman
- Kataem O'Connor as Emanuel Freeman
- Jaeda LeBlanc as Danis Freeman
- Michael Greyeyes as Galen
- Milcania Diaz-Rojas as Dawn
- Leenah Robinson as Raine
Production
The first news of project developing by R. T. Thorne was released during the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.[8] On October 17, 2023, it was reported that Danielle Deadwyler would star in the independent post-apocalyptic film directed and written by R. T. Thorne.[6] Also was cast Kataem O'Connor, Michael Greyeyes, Milcania Diaz-Rojas and Leenah Robinson. The film was produced by Jennifer Holness with Hungry Eyes Film & Television.[6]
Principal photography began in September, 2023 in Sudbury, Ontario, and wrapped on October 26.[9]
The film has faced allegations of unpaid invoices to crew, employees, and local vendors in the Sudbury area.[10] As of October 2024, IATSE confirmed that all outstanding money owed to the film's crew had been paid, while producer Jennifer Holness was still working to pay the vendors.[2]
Release
40 Acres had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6, 2024.[11] It was released in theaters on July 4, 2025.[7]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 81 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Dystopia is a family affair in 40 Acres, a thoughtful thriller given extra heft by provocative themes and a terrific Danielle Deadwyler."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[13] John Serba at Decider wrote: "40 Acres is an engrossing, well-crafted gem of a thriller, as smart as it is entertaining."[14] Sarah Gopaul at Digital Journal wrote: "Writer-director R.T. Thorne’s debut feature tackles a variety of subjects, but the Freemans are the heart of the story, whether they’re tending the land or fighting off marauders."[15]
The film was named to the annual Canada's Top Ten list by TIFF for 2024.[16]
It was nominated for Best Direction in a Feature Film at the 2025 Directors Guild of Canada awards.[17]
Accolades
| Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Reel Awards | February 16, 2026 | Outstanding Independent Film | 40 Acres | Won | [18] |
| Outstanding Lead Performance | Danielle Deadwyler | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Director | R.T. Thorne | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Emerging Director | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding First Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Ensemble | Stephanie Gorin | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Charlene Akuamoah | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Hairstyling & Makeup | Antonio Hines and Chancelle Mulela | Nominated | |||
| Directors Guild of Canada Awards | 2025 | Best Direction in a Feature Film | R. T. Thorne | Nominated | [19] |
| Impact Award | Won | ||||
| Best Production Desing in a Feature Film | Peter Cosco | Nominated | |||
| Best Picture Editing in a Feature Film | Dev Singh and Sandy Pereira | Won | |||
| Best Sound Editing in a Feature Film | Ed Douglas and Dermain Finlayson | Won | |||
| Best Crew in a Feature Film | 40 Acres | Nominated | |||
| NAACP Image Awards | February 28, 2026 | Outstanding International Motion Picture | 40 Acres | Nominated | [20] |
| Outstanding Independent Motion Picture | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture | R. T. Thorne | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Danielle Deadwyler | Nominated | |||
| Canadian Screen Awards | 2026 | Best Motion Picture | Jennifer Holness | Pending | [21] |
| Best Direction | R. T. Thorne | Pending | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | R. T. Thorne, Glenn Taylor | Pending | |||
| John Dunning Best First Feature | R. T. Thorne | Pending | |||
| Best Art Direction/Production Design | Peter Cosco | Pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Jeremy Benning | Pending | |||
| Best Sound Editing | Ed Douglas, Dermain Findlayson | Pending | |||
| Best Original Score | Todor Kobakov | Pending | |||
| Best Casting in a Film | Stephanie Gorin | Pending | |||
| Stunt Coordination | Angelica Lisk-Hann | Pending |
