Lions Gate, ThinkFilm ink deal

Lions Gate Home Entertainment has entered a three-year deal with Toronto-based distributor ThinkFilm to handle its theatrical releases in the U.S. home video market. Lions Gate will represent all ThinkFilm features, starting with the Oscar-winning doc Born Into Brothels, which is due to be released Sept. 20. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Lions Gate spun off its Canadian distribution operations as Maple Pictures in April.

History congress preps

This year’s World Congress of History Producers will, appropriately, be held in the history-laden city of Rome, Dec. 1-4, and will include events and talks such as Who Owns History?, a look at the future of archiving, and Around the World in 80 Minutes, a showcase of the year’s best in history programs. RAI Educational will be the host broadcaster for the event, which is organized by Toronto-based Achilles Media. Over 400 delegates attended last year’s conference in Toronto. Registration is open until Oct. 15. See www.history2005.com or call (416) 921-3171.

Knightscove merger

Toronto-based Knightscove Entertainment has merged with Queen Street Entertainment Capital and was prepared to go public on the TSX Venture by the end of July. Leif Bristow is the new firm’s president and CEO, taking over for Rick Ferreira, who will remain on the board of directors. The company, trading under the symbol QE.P, plans to offer 1.25 million shares at $0.25 each.

Capri takes over T.O. theater

Capri Releasing has taken over Toronto’s Al Green Theatre and, in July, launched a program of first-run foreign films, talks and other special programs. The new 288-seater opened with screenings of Walk on Water by Israeli filmmaker Eytan Fox, Japanese Story by Australia’s Sue Brooks and the Canada/Israel/Germany copro Metallic Blues, among others. Capri hopes the theater, in Toronto’s art-heavy Annex neighborhood, will become a meeting place for local cinephiles.