Cult Frenchdirector Xavier Beauvois has won the 'Europa Cinemas Label' for hiscop thriller, Le Petit Lieutenant which screened in the Venice Festival's 'Venice Days'sidebar last week.

The award willgive Le Petit Lieutenant a healthy fillip as it hits the internationaldistribution trail. The film is now eligible for extended theatrical exposureand additional promotion from the Europa Cinemas network - 1420 screens in 600 cinemas in 322 cities across 51countries.

'I amdelighted that my film has been recognised by such a jury of exhibitors; thisprize has real value, ' director Xavier Beauvois said in a statement.

This is thesecond time the Europa Cinemas 'Label' has been given to a film inVenice. The winner in 2004 was Hubert Sauper's documentary, Darwin's Nightmare.

Soldinternationally by StudioCanal, Le Petit Lieutenant is a Why Not Productions presentation ofa Why Not Production, StudioCanal, France 2 Cinema production with theparticipation of Canal Plus and TPS Star. The film stars Nathalie Baye,Jalil Lespert, Roschdy Zem, Antoine Chappey and Jacques Perrin.

Europa Cinemasalso awards 'Labels' at the Quinzaine in Cannes and at Berlin'sPanorama.