Mike Elliott and RobKerchner's Los Angeles-based Capital Arts Entertainment has launched aninternational sales arm, Push Worldwide.

Founded by Elliott, Kerchnerand Joe Genier, Push will acquire and distribute completed pictures as well asassorted Capital Arts product, and the principals are preparing an aggressiveslate for next month's AFM in Santa Monica.

The slate includes RodParmenter's extreme teen sports adventure Kids Who Rip; RichardHalpern's desert-set thriller Zzyzx; Patricia Harrington's mutant eelhorror picture SSSSlither; and Benjamin Louis' psychological drama StatesEvidence, about a 15-year-old who brings a camcorder to school to recordhis own suicide.

Also featuring on the slateare sci-fi mystery Messengers produced by Alvaro Donado, Meryl Emmertonand Philip Farha; romantic comedy Hey Boy produced by Brendan Pollecutt;and The Ugly Americans, a mockumentary about four American men who poseas Hollywood filmmakers on a trip to Europe.

Push's head of sales andacquisitions is former Media 8 executive Jelena Tadic whose credits include TheUpside of Anger, Monster and Running Scared.

Pam Eisen, who handlesdevelopment for Capital Arts' production side, will also play an integral rolein acquisitions for Push. She will continue to seek out emerging filmmakers anddevelop material for Capital Arts' production slate.

Also on the team are LisaGooding, who is involved with both Capital Arts on production and Push ondomestic distribution, and Jan Kikumoto, the executive in charge of post forCapital Arts who will assume a related role at Push Worldwide, handlingfinishing and deliveries to all territories.

"As filmmakers ourselves, werecognised the need for a new type of international distribution company - afilmmaker's distributor," Elliott said.

"Our objective is to be thefilmmaker's partner as we push them together with buyers who understand qualityand marketability, and value the consistent flow of product from PushWorldwide."

"Push is a major part of ourplan to grow Capital Arts independently, while still maintaining our strongdistribution ties with the studios." Kerchner added.

"We have assembled a strong,experienced team at Push and we have absolute confidence in their ability toexecute our aggressive strategy, which includes the acquisition and distributionof 10-15 films each year."