Cineplex Odeon Films has scored an exclusive four-year output deal with the Universal Studios-owned specialty division October Films amidst the uncertainty of the Canadian distribco’s imminent ownership change.

cof and Les Films Cineplex Odeon Quebec have been granted the exclusive right to distribute all October feature film releases in Canada for the next four years and will control the distribution and marketing of all films. The deal took effect immediately with the Canadian release of Robert Duvall’s The Apostle.

cof senior vp Bryan Gliserman says under the deal he expects cof to buy and distribute as many as 15 films a year as October is currently expanding into more production and acquisitions as well as forming a genre division much like Miramax’s Dimension Films.

Gliserman confirms that October was aware of cof’s Industry Canada-regulated ownership change due to the Sony/Loews Cineplex merger, which is expected to go through at the end of April, and was confident that cof would remain a Canadian distributor. October’s Sarah Eaton did not respond to questions regarding the situation.

Meanwhile, reports are circulating that Alliance is negotiating to buy cof. Alliance cfo Roman Doroniuk issued a ‘no comment’ to questions about a pending deal. But word on he street says Alliance made an offer to buy cof which was turned down because the security of Cineplex employees could not be guaranteed.

An Alliance purchase of cof would end the company’s inability to distribute films in Quebec due to a controversial December ruling from the Regie du Cinema, Quebec’s film board.

Within the distribution community many are questioning Alliance’s ability to give the films a ‘fair shake’ under a speculative deal. Alliance handles the release of approximately 100 films a year in Canada and already has output deals with Miramax and New Line/Fine Line and is expected to announce a similar deal with Live Entertainment shortly.