Fox Searchlight Pictures and BBC Films/Wasted Talent Celebrate with ``CONFETTI''; Worldwide Distribution Rights Acquired.

LOS ANGELES -- Fox Searchlight Pictures President Peter Rice announced today that it has acquired worldwide rights to the BBC Films/Wasted Talent production CONFETTI, a sharp and affectionate comedy featuring an ensemble of UK comedic talents.

Written and directed by Debbie Isitt (NASTY NEIGHBOURS), CONFETTI follows three couples as they duke it out to win a bridal magazine contest for "Most Original Wedding of the Year." The talented cast -- which includes Martin Freeman (THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, LOVE ACTUALLY, "The Office"), Jessica Stevenson (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, SPACED, THE ROYLE FAMILY), Stephen Mangan (GREEN WING), Felicity Montagu (I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE), award-winning comedian Jimmy Carr in his first screen performance and Alison Steadman (TOPSY-TURVY, LIFE IS SWEET) -- was afforded total creative freedom within the confines of a carefully crafted story frame. To prepare, the cast took part in weeks of intense workshops where they began the process of developing and inhabiting their unique roles.

Said Fox Searchlight Pictures President Peter Rice: "From minute one, we were immediately enamored with CONFETTI's unique concept and witty execution. With CONFETTI we look forward to both working with BBC Films and Wasted Talent, and continuing the extraordinary success we have experienced with previous British comedies like THE FULL MONTY, WAKING NED DEVINE and BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM."

Said David Thompson, Head of BBC Films: "We're really delighted to have struck this deal with Fox Searchlight. This is the first fruit of our new focus on comedy films, and it is fantastic we've made such a strong start. It is great to see such wonderful comedy talent on the big screen. We felt we had something very special here and we are delighted to see that our instinct has been backed in this way -- there is nobody better than Fox Searchlight to bring British comedy talent to international audiences."

"We are delighted with the Fox Searchlight team's enthusiastic response to CONFETTI. There could be no better home for Wasted Talent's first feature," added Ian Flooks, Wasted Talent Chairman.

CONFETTI is produced by Wasted Talent's Ian Flooks and Ian Benson (THE WEEKEND, THE MISADVENTURES OF MARGARET). The film was co-financed by BBC Films, Wasted Talent and Screen West Midlands.

The deal was brokered by Fox Searchlight Executive Vice President Joseph De Marco and Senior Vice President of Acquisitions Tony Safford with Isabel Begg, Head of Business and Legal Affairs, and Jane Wright, Head of Rights and Commercial Affairs, from BBC Films.

The project will be shepherded at Fox Searchlight by Executive Vice President of Production Claudia Lewis.

Fox Searchlight Pictures is a filmmaker-oriented company that focuses on distinctive films helmed by world class auteurs and exciting newcomers. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and its films are distributed internationally by Twentieth Century Fox. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group.