Susan Jackson, Mark Borde and Mike Doban's fledgling USdistributor Freestyle Releasing has acquired all North American rights fromVisualeyes Productions and Jellyworks to Eddie O'Flaherty's directorial debut FightingTommy Riley.

CURB Entertainment will handle international sales on the title,which won the Kodak Award For Cinematography at the 12th annual at the HamptonsInternational Film Festival at the weekend and is based on JP Davis' screenplayabout a veteran boxing trainer who teams up with a promising fighter.

"Eddie O'Flaherty and JP Davis have delivered a knock-out featurefilm debut of fierce intensity with beautifully realized characters,exceptionally acted by all, with veteran character actor Eddie Jones giving apowerful star turning performance which is the tragic centre of the film,"Freestyle chief executive officer Jackson said in a statement.

"The fight scenes are spectacular in their reality and the film isa great combination of character, action and story."

Jackson negotiated the deal with Bettina Tendler O'Mara on behalfof Visualeyes Productions and Jellyworks.

Jackson'scompany Turtles Crossing merged with Borde's theatrical distribution andconsulting company Innovation Film Group and the theatrical distribution arm ofDoban's Arcangelo Entertainment to create Freestyle Releasing in September2004.