Chris Blackwell's PalmPictures has closed a deal to buy North American and Caribbean rights toMargaret Brown's documentary Be Here To Love Me, a profile of musician Townes Van Zandt which hadits world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last week.

The acquisition is Palm'sthird out of Toronto after Iraq war documentary Gunner Palace and Johnny To's actioner Breaking News.

Thedeal on Be Here To Love Me wasnegotiated by David Koh, head of acquisitions and production for Palm, withMicah Green for Cinetic Media on behalf of the film-maker and producers. Palmis planning a mid-2005 theatrical release followed by a DVD release later inthe year.

VanZandt, who died in 1997, was a legendary songwriter of US country and folksongs and the film interviews admirers including Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett,Steve Earle and Kris Kristofferson among others.

"This is a fantasticdocumentary and a moving portrait of an important artist," said Koh in astatement. "Palm is proud and privileged to distribute it and to work closelywith Margaret Brown on the release. We want to be known as one of the premierego-to labels for music driven projects, and Be Here to Love Me is another great step in that direction. We'vepreviously distributed Dig!, Scratch, 1 Giant Leap and Tom Dowd & the Language of Music, as well as our Directors Label series, featuringthe works of Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and Chris Cunningham."