Iranian Canadian filmmaker Alireza Khatami's psychological thriller, inspired by his own family trauma, is Canada's submission for consideration at the Academy Awards. He just hopes his relatives don't see the film.

Telefilm Canada announced on Tuesday that will be submitted as Canada's entry for best international feature. Earlier this year, the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award, and is slated for theatrical release next month.

Khatami, a Toronto professor, said he finds the prospect daunting.

"I don't think it's natural for anybody to go in front of an audience and say, 'Hey, this is my guts. Here is a can of worms I want to open that nobody has seen,"' he said on a video call.

"It's drawn from reality to the point

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