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Magnolia Pictures has picked up U.S. theatrical and DVD rights to Participant Media and River Road Entertainment's docu "Food, Inc."

Producer-director Robert Kenner's expose of the food industry boasts the investigative props of popular food scribes Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation") and Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma"). Pic preemed at the Toronto Film Festival.

Magnolia will release the pic in the first half of 2009. In conjunction, PublicAffairs will publish a companion book that will include contributions from Pollan, Schlosser and Kenner. Participant will also produce a social action campaign focusing on the industrialization of the food industry.

The deal was negotiated by Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment on behalf of Participant and River Road with Magnolia's Tom Quinn. Fortissimo is selling international rights at AFM.