TLA Releasing has hit theground running at MIFED, picking up US home entertainment and television rightsto the Danish action comedies In China They Eat Dogs and Old Men In New Cars.

Both stories follow theblood-soaked trail of a hapless, slightly psychopathic criminal. In ChinaThey Eat Dogs (1999) centres on abotched bank robbery, while the 2002 prequel Old Men In New Cars concerns a prison break.

Kim Bodnia stars in bothpictures, which were written by Anders Thomas Jensen and directed by LasseSpang Olsen. TLA plans to release in spring and summer 2005.

Director of acquisitionsRichard Wolff negotiated with Non Stop Sales director of sales Michael Werner onIn China They Eat Dogs and withNordisk Film International Sales' sales executive Sanne Arlo on Old Men InNew Cars.

"We wanted to bring thesetwo remarkable films together to American audiences so they could meet Harald,an irresistible bad guy you can't help but love," Wolff said in a statement.

"We are thrilled that thisgroundbreaking film in Danish cinema is finally reaching the American shoresand we couldn't have a better partner than TLA," Non Stop Sales' Werner said ina statement.

"I hope this will be thebeginning of a long and fruitful business relationship between our twocompanies," Arlo said of Nordisk and TLA.