Shrewd US distributor Artisan Entertainment is boosting its product supply once again, this time sealing an agreement this week to distribute 6-8 black-themed films across North America.

The films will be made by BET Pictures II, a subsidiary of BET Holdings II, the first and only black-owned and operated entertainment company in the US producing programming and films that are designed to appeal to African American interests. It also operates four TV networks led by Black Entertainment Television.

Under the terms of the deal, Artisan will distribute the films from BET over the next two years. BET Pictures will cover P&A costs as well as promoting and marketing the picture on its website BET.com, which is backed by Microsoft, Liberty Digital, News Corp and USA Networks.

The deal was hatched by Artisan president Amir Malin and Bob Johnson, BET's chairman and CEO, at last year's Sun Valley Retreat for media tycoons that is hosted by Allen & Co.

Artisan has enjoyed considerable success with its African American pictures in the past. Foolish, with Eddie Griffin and Master P, grossed $6m at North American theatres last year; and Belly, with Nas and DMX, took in $9.7m in 1998.

The Artisan/BET deal was negotiated by Patrick Gunn and Karen Levin on behalf of Artisan, Nina Henderson and Byron Marchant on behalf of BET Pictures and Lawrence Cooper of Smith & Cooper LLC, legal counsel to BET Pictures.