Doug Witkins' Picture This!Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Dennis Gansel's German hit Napolafrom Bavaria Film International. The film, which has so far grossed $2.2m onthree weeks of release in Germany through Constantin Film, is being scheduledfor an autumn 2005 theatrical release in the US.

Based on a screenplay byGansel and Maggie Peren, Napola is the story of the friendship betweentwo young men caught in the barbaric mechanisms of the Nazi system in 1942. Itstars Max Riemelt and Tom Schilling. Riemelt won the best actor prize atKarlovy Vary last year for his performance.

The deal for Napolawas negotiated by Witkins on behalf of Picture This! And Michael Weber andThorsten Schaumann for Bavaria.