Lions Gate Films has sealed itssecond major deal in two days, paying $4m for worldwide rights excluding theUK, Spain and Australia to David Slade's hot psychological thriller HardCandy.

UK rights sold to Redbus for approximately $0.75m, and Icon andAurum acquired Australian and Spanish rights respectively for $0.5m each.

The first Slamdance sale was announced as THINKFilm picked upCanadian rights to Mark A Lewis' quixotic tragic-comedy Ill Fated.

Back at Sundance, buyers continued to swirl around Ira Sachs'nuanced relationship drama Forty Shades of Blue, Rian Johnson's Brick, Scott Coffey's Ellie Parker, Tim Kirkman's Loggerheads, Noah Baumbach's The Squid AndThe Whale and CraigLucas' The Dying Gaul - all playing in the American Dramatic Competitionprogramme.

Also generating heat were Rupert Murray's absorbing World DocumentaryCompetition entry Unknown White Male, a meditation on memory and identity that elicited severaloffers within 10 minutes of yesterday's (25) screening and is expected toclose soon, as well as Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt's sexual abstinencetitle The Education Of Shelby Knox, which plays in the American Documentary strand. Both titles arehandled by Submarine.

Hard Candy,Slade's shocking take on sexual politics and revenge, follows what happenswhen a fashion photographer and a teenage girl who become online friendsfinally meet face-to-face.

Patrick Wilson and Ellen Pagestar and the picture was produced by David Higgins, Richard Hutton and MichaelCaldwell, with Jody Patton and Rosanne Korenberg serving as executive producer.

It is the latest title from Vulcan Productions, whose creditsinclude Far From Heavenand Titus, inassociation with Launchpad Productions.

Lions Gate president of acquisitions, television andco-productions Peter Block, senior vice president of acquisitions JasonConstantine and president of releasing Tom Ortenberg negotiated the deal withDoug Stone and Rosanne Korenberg of Traction Media and Cassian Elwes and RenaRonson of William Morris Independent for Vulcan.

THINKfilm's acquisition of Ill Fated followed the picture's US premiereat Slamdance; the distributor plans a May release.

The story centres on a recent high school graduate whose effortsto leave his small hometown are thwarted by a troubled girlfriend, promiscuousmother and an absent father who suddenly returns to the fold.

The deal was negotiated for THINKFilm by senior vice president oftheatrical Andrew Austin, manager of acquisitions Michael Baker,producer's representative Richard Abramowitz, and producer Andre Garrisonof Prehumous Productions.

"We are delighted with the news," Slamdance directorKathleen McInnis said. "Ill Fated is a craftily-woven tale with dozens oftwists and turns and I couldn't imagine a better company than THINKFilm tobring it to the public."