US independent distributorWellspring Media has acquired domestic rights to Friday Night (Vendredi Soir), the latest film from Claire Denis, with plans to release ittheatrically in spring 2003. The movie, which had its world premiere screeningat Venice last month, also played at Toronto and screens Friday night this weekat the New York Film Festival.

Acquired by Wellspring fromParis-based Pathe International, Friday Night is the fourth film the company isto distribute from Bruno Pesery's Arena Films after Pola X, What Time Is It There' and Les Destinees.

The film is based on thebest-selling novel by Emanuelle Bernheim, who co-wrote another hit Wellspringrelease Under The Sand. It starsValerie Lemercier as a young woman about to move in with her boyfriend oneFriday night in Paris, who is caught in a traffic jam and an unexpectedattraction to a stranger, played by Vincent Lindon.

Denis' feature filmshave achieved consistent US distribution - Trouble Every Day (2001) was handled by Lot 47, Beau Travail (1999) by New Yorker Films, Nenette Et Boni (1996) by Strand Releasing, J'ai PasSommeil (1994) by New Yorker and Chocolat (1988) by Orion Classics.