Germany's recently floated distributor Senator Films has revealed that it bought rights to 13 features with a total production value of $150m during the recent American Film Market and Sundance and Berlin festivals, including the highly sought after Nicole Kidman-starrer The Others from Le Studio Canal Plus.

Senator also grabbed hot titles Human Nature and sci-fi animation picture Axis from Le Studio. Human Nature, scripted by Being John Malkovich screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, is set to go into production in Los Angeles in May with Welsh actor Rhys Ifans playing a man raised as an ape.

These titles join previously announced acquisitions on Senator's slate such as Girlfight and Crime And Punishment In Suburbia from United Artists Films and Juliette Binoche-Johnny Depp starrer Chocolate from Miramax International, all acquired at the AFM. Senator has also picked up Australian film Shearer's Breakfast.

Senator's terms gave it German speaking rights in all media including the Internet for minimum duration of 20 years.

Senator has had a busy run since flotation. In January it signed a 14-picture output deal with the UK's FilmFour, which may kick off with Full Monty-director Peter Cattaneo's Our Lucky Break. The slate will cost some $400m to produce and Senator will take a share of worldwide profits.

Senator also committed to two pictures a year from Der Bewegte Mann director Soenke Wortmann's company Little Shark Entertainment. The first pictures under that accord are likely to be The Miracle Of Berne (Das Wunder Von Bern) about Germany's legendary World Cup soccer victory in 1954, and Christian Zuebert's comedy debut Lammbock, which public broadcaster WDR will co-produce.

In a separate service deal Senator has agreed to handle bookings for X Verleih, the newly formed distribution label belonging to X Filme Creative Pool. X Verleih expects to distribute 4-8 features per year sourced from its own stable and from acquisitions.