US-based First Look Mediahas acquired worldwide rights excluding North America to Derick and StevenMartini's drama Lymelife, which starsAlec Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Timothy Hutton.

The Martini brothersdeveloped the script through the Sundance Institute˙s film-maker andscreenwriter labs and make their directorial debut on the project, which is dueto begin principal photography on May 28.

First Look president BillLischak and Dana Lambert negotiated the deal with Cargo Film˙s WarrenKohler and Reder & Feig˙s Glenn Feig. Sales arm First LookInternational will begin pre-sales in Cannes.

Baldwin plays a real estatedeveloper who relocates his family from New York's borough of Queens to themore salubrious Long Island suburb around the time his marriage begins tounravel. Cynthia Nixon and Rory Culkin also star.

Baldwin and JonCornick˙s El Dorado Pictures will produce. El Dorado˙s creditsinclude State And Main and theaward-winning mini-series Nuremburg.

Barbara Defina will serve asexecutive producer alongside Cargo Films executives Tom Colitsas, WilliamBaldwin and Warren Kohler on what is the first picture to be produced throughCargo ˙s deal with Comerica Bank and the state of New Jersey˙sEconomic Development Authority.

The Authority channelsfinancial incentives to independent film-makers and loan guarantees for up to30% of a film's budget, capped at $1.5m (see Screendaily story Oct 13).

"Derick And Steven Martiniwon the best new talent award at the Toronto Film festival," Lischak said in astatement. "Their directing debutcombined with the vast experience of the producing team will make this projectvery provocative."