Alliance Atlantis Communications and Michael Moore are back in business. AAC’s motion picture distribution group snagged the Canadian rights to the pot-stirring doc director’s Fahrenheit 9/11, which won the Palme d’Or at the recent Cannes Film Festival. Through its now-defunct Salter Street Films, Alliance Atlantis had a hand in producing Moore’s Bowling for Columbine, and released it in Canada to $5.8 million at the box office, a record for a doc.

Despite this previous collaboration, AAC’s acquisition of the film was not a sure thing. Vancouver-based Lions Gate Films looked like a front-runner after it entered into a partnership with IFC Films to release the film in the U.S. for indie moguls Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Toronto’s ThinkFilm was also reportedly in the mix.

The Weinstein’s Miramax Films was supposed to release the film stateside, but parent company Disney blocked that, deeming the film too overtly political in an election year. The Weinsteins then bought the film back from Disney under the newly formed Fellowship Adventure Group banner. The controversial anti-President Bush cinematic tirade has drawn ire for, among other things, pointing out relationships between the Bush family and that of Osama Bin Laden.

In one of the fastest major-release turnarounds on record, AAC, looking to go day-and-date with the U.S. and cash in on all the hype, will release the film Canada-wide on June 25. The distrib also has video and television rights.

-www.allianceatlantis.com