Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) is understood to have bought US rights to Pollock, the directoral debut of Ed Harris which played in Cinema of the Present this week at the Venice Film Festival and will also play at next week's Toronto Film Festival.

Alliance Atlantis Pictures International last week acquired all international rights to the film, a biopic of expressionist artist Jackson Pollock. Harris plays Pollock, with an ensemble cast including Amy Madigan, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Bud Cort, Marcia Gay Harden and John Heard.

Emanuel Nunez of Creative Artists Agency negotiated the deal with SPC on behalf of the film's producers Jon Kilik, Fred Berner and James Trezza.

SPC last week sealed its acquisition of theatrical rights to Terence Davies' The House Of Mirth which has already taken in the Locarno and Edinburgh film festivals as well as the Telluride Film Festival where it was screened as a surprise last night.

SPC's end of year focus will be the US release on Dec 8 of another festival favourite Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon directed by Ang Lee. The enormously popular martial arts movie, which premiered out of competition at Cannes, is being touted for awards glory and SPC is planning to campaign for Best Picture and Best Director Academy Award nominations.