"The Cove" Heading To UK

A scene from Louie Psihoyos' "The Cove". Image courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.

Vertigo Films has acquired all the UK rights to Louise Psihoyos's festival favorite "The Cove." The doc - which follows an elite team of adrenalin junkies, filmmakers and free divers as they embark on a covert mission to expose a dolphin slaughtering operation - will be released in the UK this Autumn.

"'The Cove' is one of the most powerful and moving stories I have seen in a long time," Rupert Preston of Vertigo Films said in a statement. "Vertigo is very proud to be releasing the film in the UK this autumn."

"The Cove" has racked up an impressive amount of awards during its festival run, including audience awards from Sundance, Hot Docs, Seattle, Sydney, SILVERDOCS, and Nantucket, and most recently won Best Feature Documentary at the Galway Film Festival.

Vertigo acquired the film from sales agent The Works International - who also handled last year's "Man on Wire."

"Vertigo is totally commercially-minded and has a fantastic track record in reaching wide audiences," Carl Clifton, MD of The Works International said in a statement. "They are the perfect partner for this thrilling and truly exceptional piece of cinema."

"The Cove" hits theaters in North America Friday, July 31st.