Canadian-financed North American distributor ThinkFilm has picked up all North American rights to Peter Care's The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys which will receive its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next year.

The film is produced by Jodie Foster's Egg Pictures and stars Foster along with Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Emile Hirsch and Vincent D'Onofrio. Adapted from Chris Fuhrman's cult novel, Dangerous Lives chronicles the lives of two high schoolers who escape their hormonal confusion by creating a secret comic book. The film was fully financed by Graham King's Initial Entertainment Group (IEG).

The film joins two previously negotiated acquisitions from ThinkFilm: Bart Freundlich's World Traveler and Laurent Cantet's Time Out (L'Emploi Du Temps) which have both been selected for Sundance in the American Showcase and World Cinema sections respectively. World Traveler world premiered at the Deauville Film Festival last year, and Time Out premiered at the Venice Film Festival; both went on to play at Toronto.

The announcement was made by ThinkFilm president and CEO Jeff Sackman and head of US distribution Mark Urman. Urman expects to release the films as early as early spring 2002.

ThinkFilm vice president of acquisitions and business affairs Randy Manis negotiated all three deals with Sackman and Urman. ICM's Ken Kamins sold Dangerous Lives, John Sloss of Cinetic Media represented World Traveler and Pierre Meneham of Celluloid Dreams represented Time Out.