Capitol Films is racking up sales on the high profile, threepicture slate - comprising Mark Mylod's The Big White, Robert Towne's Ask The Dust and Robert Altman's Paint - that it is co-financing with German media fund VIP.

The Big White, aFargo-style comedy drama starring Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, James Woods andGiovanni Ribisi has gone to Italy (Medusa), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Spain(Filmax), Benelux (RCV), Eastern Europe and a host of smaller territories,among them Brazil (Imagine) Greece, Hong Kong, Mexico, Thailand, Turkey andSouth Africa. Most of these deals were concluded before Hunter's castingwas confirmed last week.

The film, shooting in April, features Williams as adown-at-heel Alaskan travel agent whose wife (Hunter) is afflicted withTourette's Syndrome and whose life is turned upside down when he finds astranger's body in a dumpster outside his house. It is British directorMylod's second feature after Ali G Indahouse (2002).

Capitol is also doing brisk business on Ask The Dust. The London-based production and sales outfit hasnow sold the title, starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek, to the UK (Pathe),Japan (Gaga), Spain (Filmax) Scandinavia (Scanbox) Italy (CRC), Mexico,Argentina and Brazil.

Ask The Dust has hada complex gestation. Writer-director Robert Towne (Chinatown) has been attempting to make the film for manyyears. Paramount recently replaced Dreamworks as the US distributor on thefilm, which is adapted from John Fante's depression-era novel about themisadventures of a destitute young writer in Los Angeles in the 1930s.

The third film in the package is Altman's Paint, which has sold to Italy (Medusa) and Scandinavia(Scanbox). Sony Classics will distribute in the US.

Capitol struck a three-picture deal with VIP aroundChristmas time last year.