The UK's Renaissance Films has seen two of its productions secure North American distribution homes, with Paramount Classics taking domestic and a slew of international rights to Paul McGuigan's The Reckoning and now also IFC Films grabbing domestic rights to Rose Troche's The Safety Of Objects. Both deals were confirmed yesterday.

Paramount Classics acquired rights in North America, Latin America, Australia & New Zealand, South Africa and Japan to The Reckoning, in a deal that Adam Krentzman of CAA brokered on behalf of Renaissance. Based on Barry Unsworth's novel Morality Play, The Reckoning stars Willem Dafoe, Paul Bettany, Brian Cox, Gina McKee and Vincent Cassel in the story of a priest on the run who atones for his past sins by saving the life of an innocent woman accused of murder. It marks McGuigan's third film after Gangster #1 and The Acid House.

The Reckoning deal marks the second announcement this week of a multi-territory acquisition by Paramount Classics, the specialised film division of Paramount Pictures. The company also bought the same territories on Alan Taylor's The Emperor's New Clothes from Film Four International.

At the same time, IFC Films - whose fast-growing release slate coincidentally includes McGuigan's Gangster #1 - has acquired all North American rights to The Safety of Objects in what amounts to the second largest domestic pick-up from among this year's Toronto Film Festival world premieres. The biggest single acquisition at Toronto was Miramax Films' purchase of Gregor Jordan's Buffalo Soldiers from Good Machine International and FilmFour.

Featuring an ensemble cast headlined by Glenn Close and Dermot Mulroney in a story about four upscale neighbouring families as they struggle to make honest human relationships, The Safety Of Objects was very well received at both the Toronto and San Sebastian film festivals this year and will now be released stateside next summer, says IFC's Bob Berney.

Adapted by Troche from a book of short stories by A.M. Homes and produced by Dorothy Berwin of InFilm Productions and Christine Vachon of Killer Films, The Safety Of Objects was executive produced by Angus Finney and Stephen Evans for Renaissance, Jody Patton for Clear Blue Sky Productions and Pamela Koffler for Killer. The IFC acquisition was brokered by John Sloss of Cinetic Media on behalf of Renaissance and Clear Blue Sky.

IFC Films is a division of Bravo Networks' IFC Entertainment and a sister company to the Independent Film Channel. Currently distributing Lukas Moodysson's Together in the US, IFC upcoming release roster also includes The Business Of Strangers, Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien and Arliss Howard's Big Bad Love.

Currently on Paramount Classics' release slate are Barbet Schroeder's Our Lady Of The Assassins, Christine Lahti's My First Mister, Edward Burns' Sidewalks Of New York and Neal Slavin's Focus. Its 2002 releases include Raul Ruiz's Les Ames Fortes, Fisher Stevens' Just A Kiss and Clare Peploe's Triumph Of Love.