Alliance Atlantis's OdeonFilms has acquired Canadian rights to Morgan Spurlock's Sundance-prize winning SuperSize Me. The deal was negotiated bySpurlock and Odeon president Bryan Gliserman between Sundance and Austin'sSouth-By-Southwest Festival (SXSW).

Odeon vice-president ofmarketing and publicity Mark Slone told ScreenDaily that the film was the idealtheatrical documentary release because of its marketability. "It's extremelytopical. The debate over obesity in North America, the risks posed bytrans-fats and the concept of super-sizing [offering consumers giganticportions] are all current topics of debate. Just as important, Morgan presentsit in a very audience-friendly way."

Slone said the company hadadvance word on the film from programmers at Toronto's Hot Docs CanadianDocumentary Film Festival before Sundance and that Glisserman tracked itthrough the festival.

The film will screen at HotDocs on April 24. Odeon's release date has not been confirmed but will likelyfollow the US release where it is being handled by Roadside Attractions andSamuel Goldwyn Films.

The film, in which heexplores the effect of eating nothing but McDonalds fast food over the courseof one month, won Spurlock the Best Director award in Sundance's documentarysection. Hundreds were turned away at screenings at SXSW.