The distributor has acquired North American and UK rights to Chris James Thompson’s documentary about the Milwaukee serial killer.

IFC Midnight plans an early 2013 release after Sundance Selects/IFC Films svp of acquisitions and productions Arianna Bocco negotiated the deal with Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment.

Thompson produced The Jeffrey Dahmer Files with Jack Turner and co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Swant and Joe Riepenhoff. Chris Smith and Barry Poltermann served as executive producers on the project, which premiered at SXSW earlier this year.

The film explores the city of Milwaukee by meeting people who lived around Dahmer and interweaves recollections with archival footage and everyday scenes from Dahmer’s life.

Dahmer was arrested in 1991 and sentenced to 957 years in prison for killing 17 people and dismembering their bodies.