The comedy Babysitter, the creative documentary feature Framing Agnes and the VR experience This Is Not a Ceremony are among the Canadian projects headed to the Sundance Film Festival next month.

The lineup announced Thursday (Dec. 9) includes the world premiere of Montreal’s Amérique Film and France’s Phase 4 Productions Babysitter (pictured), from director Monia Chokri and writer Catherine Léger — who is also a producer on the film. Other producers include Martin Paul-Hus, Pierre-Marcel Blanchot and Fabrice Lambot.

The story sees a mysterious and liberated babysitter shake things up between a couple after the boyfriend loses his job due to a sexist gesture he made on live TV. BAC Films is handling French distribution for the Canada/France co-pro.

Framing Agnes is a Canada/U.S. world premiere from director-writer Chase Joynt (No Ordinary Man), who also produces along with Samantha Curley and Shant Joshi.

The film looks at Agnes, a transgender woman who participated in Harold Garfinkel’s gender health research at UCLA in the 1960s. Reenactments are featured from trans stars Zackary Drucker, Angelica Ross, Jen Richards, Max Wolf Valerio, Silas Howard, and Stephen Ira. The Film Collaborative is handling festival distribution. UTA Independent Film Group is handling worldwide sales.

The NFB’s world premiere This Is Not a Ceremony from writer-director Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) is a cinematic VR project set in another realm and features tricksters, matriarchs and buffalo. Described as a narrative “where past, present and future are one” and “where colonial rules and assumptions are forgotten,” the story confronts some of the darker sides of living life in Canada while Indigenous. James Monkman did the art direction and visual effects, Jessica Dymond is the editor and Nagamo Publishing did the sound design and music.

The Sundance Film Festival will take place from Jan. 20 to 30, 2022, in Utah, as well as digitally on the website and on an immersive platform called The Spaceship. The festival will also have satellite screenings around the U.S. during its second weekend.

Image courtesy of BAC Films