Christoph Ott's new German theatrical distribution company OTTFilm has signed a deal with UIP Germany for the joint distribution of new local and international titles, including Woody Allen's The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion and Robert Altman's Gosforth Park.

As part of the agreement UIP will handle physical distribution of the films which OTTFilm acquires for the German market place, the first being this year's HypoVereinsbank Award-winner No Regrets (Nichts Bereuen) by Benjamin Quabeck on November 15, 2001.

Commenting on the collaboration with the US major, OTTFilm's founder Christoph Ott declared "it is great that UIP will support our engagement for German and European films. At the moment, it is extremely exciting in Germany as there are many new people who want to bring exciting stories into the cinemas."

Meanwhile, Paul Steinschulte, UIP's general manager in Germany, pointed out that "when popular films can be successfully released from the local production output, the whole market profits considerably as current examples have proven very clearly in 2001 from France, Denmark, Spain and Germany".

OTTFilm, which is backed by the Das Werk Group, previously concluded an agreement with VCL Film + Medien to handle the theatrical distribution of such films as Woody Allen's The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion and Robert Altman's Gosforth Park and has also picked up Stefanie Sycholt's South Africa-set Malunde for distribution.