iW NEWS | Magnolia Gets "Food, Inc"

Magnolia Pictures has acquired all U.S. rights to "Food, Inc," which debuted earlier this year at the Toronto International Film Festival and is on tap for the Berlin International Film Festival in February. Producer-director Robert Kenner and investigative authors Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan's doc, from Participant Media and River Road Entertainment, exposes the U.S. food industry. The film was produced by Kenner and Elise Pearlstein, with Schlosser, Richard Pearce and Melissa Robledo serving as co-producers. Executive producers are Bill Pohlad, Robin Schorr, Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann. Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment, repping Participant and River Road, made the deal with Tom Quinn from Magnolia Pictures. Fortissimo Films is handling international sales. The film is set for a release in the first half of 2009. "Food, Inc. is a thought-provoking, beautifully crafted doc that not only addresses an issue of fundamental importance to many Americans, but tells them what they can do an individual to make a difference. It's an enthralling, empowering take on the subject," said Magnolia's Eamonn Bowles, in a statement. "There's nothing more elemental than what you eat and we think there's potentially a large audience for the film." [Eugene Hernandez]