MUMBAI: Sahara One Media and Entertainment's movie channel Filmy has signed a three year agreement with Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP), the international television distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, to showcase 20 titles on the channel's Hollywood movie block Firangi Filmy.

As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Sahara was in talks with several international studios for acquiring titles. The channel continues to be scouting for other international studios including Sony Pictures, as well as other independent producers in the US to build a bank of offerings.

The acquired titles will be dubbed in Hindi and aired during the Friday 8 pm slot on Firangi Filmy. The movies acquired by the channel as part of this deal include Signs, Shanghai Knights, Star Ship Troopers, The Three Musketeers and Metro. Besides action and thrillers, Filmy has also added children's movies to its kitty.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Filmy business head Ashutosh said, "Besides the big movies, we have also selected movies that have not had a theatrical release or been viewed on television in India. The newness of the channel will thrust us towards buying more titles and therefore we will continue to acquire.

"It is Filmy's privilege to work with Buena Vista International Television. We plan to showcase the best of Hollywood for our masses in their own language. We have received unparalleled support from BVITV, and look forward to building our relationship with them even further."

The deal also coincides with The Walt Disney Company's focus to expand its presence in India, a key strategic market for the company.

"We are delighted to be the first US studio to be licensing Hollywood movies to Filmy," commented BVITV-AP's senior vice president and managing director Steve Macallister. "India is a key strategic market for our company and we are looking forward to working closely with Filmy to provide top quality content that will enthral their viewers."