Both the Sundance Film Festival and Slamdance Film Festival are taking their films online! Here’s all you need to know about Canada’s virtual presence at both fests.
Sundance
At the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, running from January 20 to 30, Canada’s audiovisual industry will take center stage with four feature-length films, one short film, and a virtual reality project.
Renowned Canadian documentary production companies Eyesteel Film and Intuitive Pictures will return to Sundance with their newest documentaries. Mila Aung-Thwin and Bob Moore will present Midwives, a co-production with Myanmar by director Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing in the World Cinema Documentary competition. Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love, co-produced by Ina Fichman, will open the festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition.
Monia Chokri’s new comedy Babysitter, written by Catherine Léger based on her eponymous play, is among the six chosen features that will defy genre in the Midnight program.
Chase Joynt’s hybrid feature Framing Agnes will be one of the seven works selected in the NEXT program that showcases innovative, forward-thinking approaches to storytelling.
Bump, a comedy about retribution for trivial encounters from writer-director Maziyar Khatam, will be featured in the International Live Action Short Film program.
In the New Frontiers program, This is Not a Ceremony from Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) is an innovative virtual reality documentary produced by the National Film Board.
Slamdance
The Slamdance Film Festival, which showcases emerging filmmakers and low-budget films, will present its 28th edition from 27 January to 6 February 2022.
Two Canadian features were selected for its prestigious competition. Avalon Fast’s directorial debut Honeycomb, is a fresh take on female friendship and power in the form of a horror film. Writer, director and actor Ethan Eng’s personal comedy Therapy Dogs is a coming-of-age story that takes viewers on a ride through a group of teenagers’ last year of high school.
In the Jam Jar directed by Colin Nixon, and See You, Garbage! by Romain Dumont are two contrasting short films featured in the Narrative Shorts section. In the Jam Jar is a muted tribute to maternal love, while See You, Garbage! is a dramatic politically-charged comedy.
In the Breakout section of the festival, Retrograde is Adrian Murray’s second feature and comedy to world premiere at Slamdance. His “fighting the system” story explores truth, power and accountability though the eyes of a neurotic young woman.
Eric Piccoli’s Wipe Me Away (Je voudrais qu’on m’efface), awarded with the Prix Dior de la Révélation at the CannesSeries Festival, will have its American premiere in the Episodes section of the festival. The web series follows three kids who live a life of debauchery and violence in order to survive.
UPDATE:
Three Canadian films won a total of four prizes at this year’s Sundance Film Festival – congratulations to the winners!
Framing Agnes by Chase Joynt
- Audience Award: NEXT
- NEXT Innovator Award
Fire of Love by Sara Dosa
- Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary
Midwives by Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing
- World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence In Verité Filmmaking
