During the Thessaloniki FilmFestival, BBC Worldwide and Greenlight Media have signed a deal with Balkandistributor Prooptiki for the $15m feature earth.

The company, soon to beknown as Audio Visual/Prooptiki, will distribute the 90-minute feature inGreece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro.

The deal was brokered by Prooptiki'sEugenia Mitropoulos, and Sophokles Tasioulis on behalf of BBC Worldwideand Greenlight Media.

Alastair Fothergill's film,in production for five years, is set for release in autumn 2007. earth follows the three animal families on journeys aroundthe planet.

BBC and Greenlight havepreviously secured deals with Universum in Germany, Gaga in Japan, Gaumont inFrance, Wanda in Spain and Frenetic in Switzerland.