Paramount Classics has picked up US, UK and Latin American rightsto Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson's hot documentary Call Of The North, which follows a polar bear and a walrusover the course of five years as they battle for survival on a disappearingcontinent.

The $7m National Geographic Feature Films production is currentlyin post-production and is due to be released through the specialty division inthe latter stages of 2006.

The National Geographic brand is fast becoming one of the mostsought-after names after it teamed up with Warner Independent Pictures on LucJacquet's hugely successful March Of The Penguins, which is the second highest grossingdocumentary of all time and to date has grossed more than $76m at the domesticbox office.

"The company is on an upwards course and there'll be a lot ofprojects heading into production next year," National Geographic Feature Filmspresident Adam Leipzig said, adding that National Geographic is also headinginto narrative film production.

The company plans to release one to three narrative projects ayear, one to two documentaries, and between two and four feature acquisitions ayear.