Alliance Atlantis Communications has widened the announcement of its new factual programming division by unveiling some strategic partnerships to bolster the new division, AAC Fact.

The new division, launching at mipcom, comes equipped with a base catalogue of roughly 700 hours of cross-cultural and evergreen non-fiction programs. It also boasts a strategic partnership with Toronto-based Barna-Alper Productions. aac will be the worldwide distrib for Barna-Alper’s product on a first-look basis.

The new label will also represent the works of u.k.-based TransAtlantic Films, including Extreme Body Parts (3 x 60) and Science of Love (3 x 60), both coproductions with Great North Productions.

In July, aac bought Edmonton-based Great North Communications, Canada’s largest creator and distrib of non-fiction and doc programming. As part of the deal, Great North founder Andy Thomson was named executive vp, Alliance Atlantis Television Production, in charge of AAC Fact’s production division.

Some of the new product AAC Fact is launching at mipcom includes Great North Productions’ one-off Summer of June: The Story of the Honeybee and Barna Alper’s 13-part, one-hour series Turning Points of History.

Other AAC Fact titles include Circus (13 x 30) and Wilderness Machine (6 x 60) from Great North. *

-www.allianceatlantis.com