Montreal: Successful DVD and videocassette distributor Imavision is actively looking for product for the North American market, says CEO Gabor Kertesz.

While the house is developing a new doc series and a docudrama, Kertesz was mainly focused on distribution at last month’s American Film Market in L.A.

Imavision and NBC Enterprises have signed a deal for Canadian and U.S. rights to Little House on the Prairie. In the past 18 months, HV and DVD sales for the wholesome family show in Quebec alone have grossed over $2 million.

Imavision recently opened Canavision Europe, a new Paris office under the direction of president Pierre Paquet. Kertesz says sales of Little House (box sets of all episodes from the first two seasons) in French-speaking Europe total $1.75 million to date. Euro partners include Toronto-based Cinram, which has a plant in France, and distrib Gaumont Columbia TriStar. Imavision’s Euro catalogue also includes 19 Danielle Steel movies.

Kertesz says 30% of Imavision sales are in DVD (70% video), but that’s likely to be closer to a 50:50 split by year’s end.

Wal-Mart, Costco, Best Buy and Target are some of the best outlets for sell-through product, says Kertesz.

The video and DVD market continues to grow 5% to 10% a year, with total sales of approximately US$12 billion in ’02 – ‘bigger than theatrical,’ he adds.

Imavision’s product lineup includes Japanese animation series such as Yu-Gi-Ho, Pokemon and Farscape (from The Jim Henson Company), Quebec rights to German E.M.TV product and homegrown ‘collector’ series such as La Petite Vie and Les Belles Histoires des pays en haut, the Radio-Canada TV series based on the classic Seraphin story.