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News Shorts--May 1, 2009

By IDA Editorial Staff


Recent acquisitions, news and other shorts from around the documentary world:

EPSN has snatched up the TV rights to Lost Son of Havana, the doc about Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant's return to Cuba after 46 years of exile and 19 seasons playing professional baseball for the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians. The film will be shown in both English (on ESPN) and Spanish (ESPN Deportes) in August 2009. (via indieWIRE)

Zeitgeist has picked up Jennifer Baichwal's Act of God, an opening night film at this year's Hot Docs in Toronto. Zeitgeist and Baichwal worked together two years ago on Manufactured Landscapes. Act of God is set for release this fall. Baichwal has also signed on for adaptation of Margaret Atwood's book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth. (via All These Wonderful Things)

Working Title is in the pole position for a feature-length doc about Brazilian Formula One racing world champion Ayrton Senna, who died at age 34 in a crash while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy. Asif Kapadia will direct. (via Variety)

In case you missed the premiere of Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi this week at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, HBO has you covered. HBO Documentary Films has acquired the U.S. rights to the special and will air it this summer. (via WorldScreen.com)