Larry Meistrich's theatricaldistribution and subscription DVD service Film Movement has acquired NorthAmerican rights to Austrian drama Antares at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The controversial film directedby Gotz Spielman tells three stories of passion, jealousy and violence on thesame impersonal housing estate.

"Antaresis the type of work Film Movement was created to bring to North Americanaudiences," said Meistrich, who first plans to open the film in theatres inearly 2005. "Director Gotz Spielman has created a courageous film thatrealistically depicts the elemental nature of human action and suffering."

The deal was negotiated by Bill Keys and Adley Gartenstein of FilmMovement with Martin Schweighofer of the Austrian Film Commission.

Film Movementhas just announced its end of 2004 slate of films to be released simultaneouslyin theatres on to its DVD subscribers. They are the Norwegian box office smash Buddy directed by Morten Tyldum, Scott Smith'sCanadian comedy Falling Angels starring Miranda Richardson, Vinko Bresan's Croatian drama Witnesses which world premiered at the Berlin FilmFestival this year and Rolf de Heer's Alexandra's Project, an Australia-set thriller about a womanplaying an elaborate trick on her husband.