The UK's Tartan Films is tomake its debut as a US distributor with Catherine Breillat's Anatomy Of Hell,which it will release on August 27.

The UK distributor andproducer announced plans to launch into US distribution earlier this year.Other titles set so far for a US release include Ji-Woon Kim's Tale Of TwoSisters in September, Park Chan-Wook'sSympathy For Mr Vengeance in October and Old Boy nextMarch respectively. Tartan is also planning to release Michael Winterbottom'ssexually explicit Nine Songs into the US.

The move means that Tartanis now able to buy North American and UK rights to films. It is also in theprocess of striking a deal with an unnamed Australian distributor to handle itsfilms.

Meanwhile, a planned marketscreening of Tartan Films's serial killer production The Hillside Stranglerhas been delayed because its print has been impounded by British customs enroute to Cannes from LA.

Tartan Films chief HamishMcAlpine said: "For once in my life, I'm speechless."