Atlantide Entertainment, a new niche distributor in Italy announces its debut with a catalog of some 30 titles acquired at the Berlin and Cannes Film Festival 2010 editions.

The group, which currently plans to distribute three titles per year theatrically will debut theatrically with Sebastian Lifshitz’s Plein Sud which will hit Italian cinemas within 2010. In addition, the label will distribute 2-3 DVD titles per month.

In a twist in standard theatrical distribution here, rather than dub the films, they will be released in original language with subtitles in Italian.

Aiming to hit Italy’s niche art house sector, some of the titles will be released under the Atlantide distributorship while others (like the Bruce LaBruce title) will see distribution through Atlantide’s Queer Frame logo, Atlantide’s niche logo which aims to distribute films with a GLBT slant.

Across both labels, Atlantide has acquired works by Mika Kaurismaki, Patrice Chereau, Brillante Mendoza, Gus Van Sant, Michel Gondry and El Nino Pez, the newest work from Xxy director Lucia Puenzo.

Atlantide and Queer Frame will be making their DVD debuts this autumn. Atlantide with Alison Murray’s  Mouth To Mouth starring Ellen Page and with L’Epine Dans Le Coeur by Michael Gondry in October.  Queer Frame’s DVD debut includes  Enrique Bouchichio’s Leo’s Room (El Cuarto De Leo) which is also Uruguay’s first production within the “queer” subject matter, Puenzo’s  El Nino Pez and Donne-Moi La Main by Pascal-Alex Vincent.

The company also announces the pickup of Bruce LaBruce’s LA Zombie, to be screened at the upcoming Locarno Film Festival. The film will be released as a two-DVD and book package featuring LaBruce’s previous work Otto: or Up With Dead People. The book focuses on the director’s life and work.

Another prestigious pick up is Jia Zhangke’s I Wish I Knew that was screened at Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

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