Lions Gate FilmsInternational has picked up worldwide rights excluding the US to MD Films'snowboarding documentary First Descent and will give the title its market premiere at AFM next week.

Universal Pictures holds domestic theatrical and home entertainment rights andwill release the picture on Dec 2.

First Descent chronicles the riseof snowboarding seen through the eyes of its leading practitioners and weavestestimonies with footage from some of the biggest events on the internationalcircuit.

Kevin Harrison and Kemp Curley directed and produced the MD Films, TransitionProductions, Embassy Row, LivePlanet and Davie-Brown Entertainmentco-production.

Harrison wrote the project and executive producers are David Burwick, JohnGalloway, Jaime Weinstein, Chris Moore, Tera Hanks and Larry Tanz.

The project is the first production to emerge from MD Films, the film makingarm of soft drink manufacturer Mountain Dew.

"With the increasing appetite for documentaries and the global appeal of thesnowboarding phenomenon, this action-packed thrill-ride has all the elements tocaptivate international audiences," Lions Gate International president NickMeyer said.

Lions Gate Films International's AFM slate includes The US Vs John Lennon; Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man, and Grizzly Man.