The Sundance Channel, which airs titles from the annual independent film festival in Park City, Utah, as well as a range of other movies, is to be offered in Canada as of March 1.

Corus Entertainment announced the launch of the new specialty channel on Tuesday.

The movie network was created by Robert Redford in 1996 to showcase selections from the festival of independent film he created. In the U.S., it is owned by Cablevision Systems Corp., which bought it in 2008.

Corus, which also owns HBO Canada, Treehouse and Movie Central, outlined its programming plans Tuesday. Aside from the past festival selections, which will air Wednesday evenings, the lineup includes:

• Sundance Stage, which focuses on film adaptations of stage plays such as The Homecoming, The Maids, Rhinoceros and Luther.
• Critics' Choice, featuring films from festivals around the globe.
• London Live, Music Makers and other series devoted to popular music.
• A series devoted to films with a cult following such as Naked Lunch, Return of the Secaucus Seven and Brother from Another Planet.

Green Porno, a series of shorts about the mating rituals of the animal kingdom by Isabella Rossellini, will air between programs.

The Sundance Channel will replace the Drive-In Classics channel Corus bought from CTVglobemedia last year, which aired old movies.