Dendy Films has acquired Australian rights to Lars von Trier's highly anticipated Cannes contender just weeks before it is scheduled to hit the Croisette.

The deal was signed last week with sales outfit Trust Film Sales, which now reports that only three key territories remain to be closed on the film - Germany, the UK and the US.

Dogville was shot on a soundstage in Sweden in just six weeks with a cast including Hollywood legends and shining young stars; Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall and James Caan as well as Chloe Sevigny, Jeremy Davies, Paul Bettany and Nicole Kidman in the lead.

Dogville marks the first film in a new trilogy from the multiple-award winning Danish director called U, S and A, which follows the Golden Heart trilogy of Breaking The Waves, The Idiots and Dancer In The Dark.

The script to the second film in the trilogy, Manderlay, will be presented at the market as well as Dogville Confessions, a documentary about the making of Dogville.

Directed by the award-winning Sami Saif (Family) the 55 minute film follows the all-star cast and the director for the entire shoot and even shows footage from the confession-box placed outside the studio, where cast and crew could unwind and let off steam when things got too tough. Dogville Confessions is produced by Carsten Holst of Zentropa Real.