Edinburgh-based CineFile has picked up the UK rights to TheFlower Of Evil, venerable French auteurClaude Chabrol's 50th feature, and will be releasing the film next monththrough its subsidiary, CineFrance. This is the second Chabrol picture thecompany has acquired. (It also released The Colour Of Lies.)

CineFileis one of an increasing number of new British distributors handling art houseand foreign language fare. It was founded four years ago as CineFrance by theteam behind the French Film Festival. Initially, the company handled onlyFrench movies but it is now in the market for Spanish and Italian titles aswell.

"We felt there was a wider remit for the company thanto restrict ourselves only to French films. We wanted to broaden our sphere ofinfluence," CineFile's co-founder Richard Mowe commented.

One of the few distribution outfits based in Scotland,CineFile is also looking to strengthen its ties with Scottish Screen (on whosebehalf it recently released the documentary about sculptor Any Goldsworthy, Riversand Tides.) It has applied to the agencyfor development funding. "We would like to ensure a wider showing for someof the Scottish films that don't get picked up elsewhere," Mowestated.

The company has just set up its own DVD label. Its firstreleases will be L'Auberge Espanol byCedric Klapisch and historical epic, Le Roi Danse by Gerard Corbiau.

CineFile aims to release around four new features a year.Other new theatrical titles on the slate include Alain Corneau's FearAnd Trembling, which will be released inAugust to tie in with the UK publication of the Amelie Nothom book on which itis based, and Mehdi Charef's La Fille De Keltoum in the autumn.