Paramount Pictures has addedFrance to its collection of territories acquired on National Geographic'sArctic documentary Call Of The North, while Shochiku has won a ferocious bidding war for Japanese rights,according to sales company Wild Bunch.

"I don't know if it'sbecause of the penguins," Wild Bunch's Vincent Maraval says of the hugeinterest the documentary has been stirring up in buyers.

Paramount Classics hasdomestic rights as well as UK and Latin America. Other deals closed in thefirst three days of the market are with Paradiso in Benelux and Frenetic inSwitzerland. Maraval and his team are also currently weighing offers fromItaly, Spain and Germany.

Buyersthis week have also been nibbling voraciously at Chuck Russell's Piranha, the remake of the Joe Dante film about the killerfish.

Deals have been done alreadywith Central Partnership in CIS, Europa in Brazil, Gussi in Mexico,Audio-Visual in Greece, Pandora in Yugoslavia, Best Hollywood in Hungary andCzech Republic and Chantier in Turkey.

Wild Bunch-ownedPan-Europeenne will handle the French release, with Frenetic releasing the filmin Switzerland and Paradiso in Benelux.

Meanwhile $45m sci-fifantasy Outlander has gone toPlaneta in Spain, Paradiso in Benelux and Frenetic in Switzerland.

The Paris-based sales outfithas also done a brisk trade on Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Scream Of The Ants, which has gone to Shochiku in Japan, Bim in Italyand Frenetic in Switzerland among others.

Meanwhile, Bertrand Blier's HowMuch Do You Love Me' has gone toMedallion Media for Japan. A US offer is on the table and the only majorterritories still available are UK and Korea

Southland Tales, Richard Kelly's follow-up to Donnie Darko is being released in most territories by UIP. WildBunch has France and Spain to sell. The film should be fully pre-sold by theend of the market.

Lou Ye's Summer Palace has gone to Ocean in France, Movie-Eye in Japan, andFestive in Singapore. Claude Chabrol's latest A Comedy Of Power has gone to Les Films de l'Elysee in Belgium,Concorde in Germany and Wanda in Spain, Bim in Italy, Paradiso in theNetherlands, Lusomondo in Portugal. Pan-Europeenne is handling the Frenchrelease.

Something Like Happiness has gone to Why Not in France, Paradiso in Beneluxand Goldem in Spain.