Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures has acquired North American andCaribbean rights to Mark Moormann's award-winning documentary Tom Dowd &The Language Of Music.

The film will receive its world premiere on the US-basedSundance Channel on Oct 3, followed by a limited theatrical release late thisyear and DVD roll-out in early 2004.

Tom Dowd & The Language Of Music profiles Dowd's life and work as one ofthe most celebrated producers and recording engineers in the industry.

Drawing on reams of historical footage, photographs and classictracks, Dowd recounts his collaborations with artists like Ray Charles, ArethaFranklin, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2003Nashville Festival and the Louis Wolfson Florida Moving Image Archive FilmAward for Best Documentary.

Tom Dowd & The Language Of Music was bought for Palm Pictures by itsfounding chief Blackwell, David Koh, head of acquisitions and production,and Mark Ragone, head of business affairs, film and video.

Jonathan Dana, Jeff Dowd and attorney Mark Litwak negotiated onbehalf of Moormann and the Sundance Channel was represented by Larry Greenberg,director of acquisitions for both Showtime Networks and Sundance Channel.

"Tom Dowd was a one-of-a-kind human being who captured, and ofteninspired, several generations of legendary recording artists," Moormann said ina statement.

Palm Pictures current releases include Claude Berri's romanticcomedy The Housekeeper,The Pang Brothers' arthouse horror hit The Eye and Matthew Barney's epic five-part filmseries, Cremaster Cycle.

Upcoming releases include Claude Chabrol's thriller Flower OfEvil, Dagur Kari'sacclaimed Icelandic drama Noi Albinoi, and John Walter's Sundance prize-winning documentary HowTo Draw A Bunny.