'Enron' documentary to premiere at Sundance

LOS ANGELES - "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," is set to make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this month.

The documentary, which bills itself as the inside story of the Enron business scandal, draws upon the reporting of Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, who co-wrote the book "The Smartest Guys in the Room".

Director Alex Gibney also uses corporate audio and videotapes to show how Enron traders affected the national economy.

Magnolia Pictures, which has shown a knack for distributing provocative documentaries, has acquired North American rights to the film, which was financed and produced by HDNet Films.

Magnolia, whose recent releases include 2003's "Capturing the Friedmans" and last year's "Control Room," is also a unit of 2929, whose other holdings include the Landmark theatre chain.

- REUTERS