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US on-demand cable video service Eurocinema has signed an exclusive VoD deal with an independent film distributor making titles from its European movie catalogue available in North America. Distributor First Run Features, which started in the US under the stewardship of late indie film pioneer Fran Spielman, will give Eurocinema access to a catalogue of cult and controversial European cinema titles. First Run, which claims to manage a catalogue of "daring" independent fiction and non-fiction films, currently releases 12-15 films in theatres and 40-50 DVDs a year, now available to subscribers of Eurocinema's cable VoD service. Larry Namer, head of US operations at Eurocinema, which is available to 12 million homes, said the North American audience will now be able to watch foreign film titles that were previously inaccessible. "By aligning with the Eurocinema brand, First Run will definitely benefit from increased marketing and promotional support for its entire indie catalogue as well as for individual titles," he added. First Run titles debuting on Eurocinema this December include a steamy modern adaptation of Chekhov's The Seagull titled La Petite Lili; witty clash-of-civilisations story Go For Zucker; psychological mystery Merci Pour Le Chocolat; and gritty drama Kira's Reason. Each film featured on Eurocinema will serve as the centrepiece of a two-hour hosted thematic programming block, with supplementary content such as host commentary, original documentaries and director interviews, as well as rarely seen shortform films relevant to the feature. Antony Reeve-Crook 19 Oct 2006 © C21 Media 2006