The Circuit

by Winter Miller

• The doc "Up the Yangtze" was the first announced pickup of the fest by Zeitgeist.

• HBO nabbed Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell's doc "The Black List: Volume One" for an undisclosed sum.

• The Weinstein Co. bought all international rights to Marina Zenovich's doc "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" for a low six figures.

• ESPN got worldwide TV rights to the Colin Farrell-narrated soccer doc, "Kicking It."  Price was not disclosed.

• HBO finished off "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" by buying all US rights, TV and theatrical, for $1 million. 

• Fox Searchlight acquired most world rights to "Choke," adapted from the novel by "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahniuk, for $5 million.

• Overture purchased US rights to the drama "Henry Poole is Here" starring Luke Wilson for $3.5 million.

• Focus Features put out $10 million for world rights to "Hamlet 2," the comedy starring Steve Coogan.

• Paramount Vantage bought world rights (excluding UK) to Nanette Burstein's doc "American Teen" for $1 million.

• Sony Pictures Classics picked up US rights to the drama "Frozen River" for a low to mid six figures.

• SPC doubles up with the Duplass Brothers' "Baghead," buying North American rights for a mid to high six figures.

• Sony Classics strikes again, picking up "The Wackness" at the end of the festival.

Meanwhile, over at Slamdance, "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer," a horror comedy by writer/helmer Jon Knautz was the first acquisition purchased out of the scrappier film fest.  Anchor Bay Entertainment nabbed domestic distrib rights for a reported a mid-six figures. Shaun Redick and Nate Bolotin of The Collective negotiated the deal.

Imminent doc sales are likely to include: the Katrina Hurricane doc "Trouble the Water," metal doc "Anvil," rock doc "Patti Smith," the steroid doc "Bigger, Stronger, Faster." Stacy Peralta's South Central L.A. gang doc "Made in America," the highwire without a net doc "Man on Wire."