THINKFilm haspicked up North American rights to Jose Padilha's award-winningdocumentary, Bus 174.A theatrical release in New York has been scheduled for Oct 8.

Since its worldpremiere at the Rio de Janeiro Film Festival last autumn Bus 174 has drawn considerable attention afterfestival selections at Sundance, Rotterdam and Miami.

It was named best Brazilianfilm in Rio, won the Special Mention Amnesty International Award at Rotterdamand was awarded the best documentary jury prize at Miami.

The pictureexplores media and society's responses to a highly publicised bushijacking by a disillusioned slum-dweller that took place in Rio in 2000.

HBO/CinemaxDocumentary Films, which worked with THINKFilm on the Oscar-nominated Spellbound, has acquired pay TV rights.

"We'vebeen chasing Bus 174since Sundance and are extremely proud that Jose Padilha has selected us as thebest home for his astonishing debut feature," THINKFilm distribution headMark Urman said in a statement.

"Thoughit's an eye-opening work of non-fiction, it has all the tension,suspense, and style of the best thrillers. It is also a fascinating study ofhow social injustice breeds anti-social behavior, and of how the media turnseven the most tragic stories into compulsively watchable spectacles."

The deal wasdone by Urman along with director of acquisitions Daniel Katz and senior vicepresident of acquisitions and business affairs Randy Manis.

Sue Bodine and AndreaCannistraci of Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine, Hurwitz, & Weinstein representedPadilha and his company, Zendo Entertainment.