Cavu Pictures,the New York-based independent production and distribution outfit founded byfilm-makers Michael Sergio and Isil Bagdadi, has acquired worldwide rights toits second feature, Eitan Gorlin's award-winning debut The Holy Land. The picture won the Grand Jury Prize forbest Feature Film at the 2002 Slamdance Film Festival and is a coming-of-agetale about a young rabbinical student who travels to Jerusalem during a periodof rising turmoil in the Middle East and falls in love with a Russianprostitute. The picture is scheduled for release in New York and Los Angeles onApril 25 before going on wider release across the country.

The Holy Land also won the Best Film award at theAvignon/New York Film Festival 2002 and Gorlin was recently nominated in the2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards under the Turning Leaf Coastal ReserveSomeone To Watch Award category.

Cavu producedand released its first picture, Under Hellgate Bridge, in 2001. Domestic video rights werepicked up by Lions Gate Entertainment and foreign rights went to IFM FilmAssociates. Cavu plans to produce and release two to three original films peryear and to acquire three completed films for distribution.