Canadian hybrid feature documentary Modern Whore is turning heads south of the border, with U.S. filmmaker Sean Baker (The Florida Project) signing on as an executive producer.

The film, which is currently in production, is directed by Toronto filmmaker Nicole Bazuin and co-created with Andrea Werhun (pictured). The two are also producers under their shared banner Virgin Twins, alongside Lauren Grant of Toronto’s Clique Pictures.

Modern Whore is based on Werhun’s illustrated memoir of the same name, which was self-published in 2018 and later expanded in a second edition published by Penguin Random House Canada in 2022. It was previously adapted by Bazuin into a short film, which had its world premiere at SXSW in 2020.

The documentary offers a deep dive into Werhun’s career as a sex worker, with Werhun appearing in the film as her escort alias Mary Ann and stripper persona Sophia. It also looks at her work as a writer, and her artistic and political collaborations with other sex workers. Some of the re-enactments are scheduled to film this spring.

Werhun tells Playback Daily that she first connected with Baker after he contacted her through Instagram.

“He really liked [my memoir] and I was absolutely shocked; then he asked if I would be interested in working as a script consultant on his latest feature film, Anora, which is about a stripper,” says Werhun. “Nicole and I approached Sean about considering being our executive producer on the feature film version of Modern Whore; and, gratefully, here we are.”

Having Baker involved in the production stage is a boon for the film, according to Bazuin, in terms of having a creative champion and his “seal of approval” ahead of introducing it to the international market.

Grant says the film has been financed entirely out of Canada. The Canada Media Fund provided initial funding, followed by presales from Crave, Hollywood Suite, and Quiver Distribution, with the latter handling the Canadian theatrical release and international sales. The film was also a recipient of the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund.

Grant adds that Baker is working with the team to help determine the best launchpad for the film, which she says is expected to be delivered at the end of the year or early 2025.