Pathe Distribution has picked up UK rights to the British supernatural horror Deathwatch (working title) from Ralph Kamp's newly-formed independent sales company Odyssey Entertainment.

The debut production from Film And Music Entertainment (F&ME), the UK-based international production and acquisitions wing of Germany's FAME, stars Billy Elliot's Jamie Bell and was written and directed by feature first-timer Michael J Bassett. The film is co-produced by German fund Apollo ProMedia.

The supernatural thriller is set in the trenches of WW1 and was shot on location in Prague. Producers are F&ME's Sam Taylor and Mike Downey.

Deathwatch - previously known as the Great War Project - is the first film from Odyssey Entertainment, which was recently launched by Kamp, the former chief executive of Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey's London-based sales outfit Icon Entertainment International (Screendaily Dec 9, 2001). Odyssey has world rights to the film.

"When we set out to make Deathwatch we intended to create a quality piece of work in a well tried and trusted commercial genre," said F&ME's managing director Mike Downey. "Pathe is a distribution company highly skilled in releasing films of this kind."

Pathe will release Deathwatch in the UK in autumn this year.