Dave Pederson, a producer on the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me, is to represent Australian sales agent Odin's Eye Entertainment (OEE) in New York.

His title will be vice president of international sales, but as head of the new office he will also be sourcing product for the fledgling Sydney-based operation.

'This is an exciting time for OEE as we continue to expand,' chief executive Michael Favelle told Screendaily. 'I'm thrilled to welcome Dave aboard. He brings a wealth of experience and will be a fantastic asset for us in years to come.'

For the five years up until 2005, Pederson was head of development at The Interactive Consortium, a production company set up by Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock and others. Its aim was to make online programming that would act as a springboard to other platforms: I Bet You Will is believed to be the first web programme in the US to subsequently move to television, with 54 episodes airing on MTV.

'I was looking for a new challenge and have been successful in getting two other startups off the ground, and I think Odin's Eye is on its way to a successful future,' said Pederson. He was one of the executive producers on The Third Wave, a documentary made by Australian-born Alison Thompson about the aftermath of the tsunami in Sri Lanka. It will be receiving a President of the Jury screening at Cannes.

While Odin's Eye takes precedence, Pederson plans to continue developing films. Some may come under the auspices of Odin's Eye or be made as co-productions with Spurlock's production entity Warrior Poets.

Odin's Eye will be at Cannes for the first time. Its most recent Australian pick-ups are Three Blind Mice, which is one of 12 films in competition at the Sydney Film Festival, and Tribeca sleeper hit Bitter & Twisted.

Coincidentally Pederson's nickname is Viking and OEE draws its name from the norse father of the gods. Pederson and Favelle were introduced about two months ago by John Holmstrom, co-founder of Punk Magazine.

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