As they say at the start of the Indianapolis 500: “Gentlemen, start your engines!” Sundance’s first deal has been announced: indieWIRE is reporting that Zeitgeist Films has acquired Up the Yangtze, a documentary by debut director Yung Chang about the Three Gorges Dam in China and its devastating effect upon the country.

According to the film’s official site, the doc revolves around a woman named Yu Shui. She takes a job on a ship that will cruise the river, “part of the strange apocalyptic tourist trade that thrives along the river, offering a final glimpse of a legendary world before it disappears forever.” The shy woman must compete for her work against more outgoing show-offs and endure crowded, cramped conditions in the bowels of the ship, even as Western tourists luxuriate on the upper decks. Meanwhile, her family prepares to leave the only home they have ever known: their village will soon disappear under the rising waters created by the Three Gorges Dam.

Up the Yangtze was named Best Canadian Documentary when it played at the Vancouver festival last fall, and also received good notices when it played more recently at IDFA. The doc will have its US Premiere tomorrow (Friday) at Sundance, and Zeitgest plans an April theatrical release. Check out the official site to watch the trailer, and to see more photos, as well as a considerable amount of background information on the Three Gorges Dam and the film itself.

The wheeling and dealing machinery in Park City is slowly cranking up. indieWIRE says that Fortissimo Films has acquired worldwide sales rights to CSNY Deja Vu, the closing night presentation of the Sundance Film Festival.

The more astute among you (i.e., the “old folks”) may recognize immediately that “CSNY” is not, in fact, the acronym for a crime-solving police unit — it’s the name of 60s supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. In his program note, Sundance honcho Geoff Gilmore touches on preconceptions someone who grew up with the group might have about the film, which documents CSNY’s Freedom of Speech Tour. He feels, though, that the “real value [of the film] lies in its rejection of simple nostalgia and its ability to focus on the present day.”

Of course, festival program notes always highlight the positive, so we’ll have to wait for the reviews to hear how everybody else reacts. As the closing night presentation, it’s at a disadvantage since many visitors will have already left by that time. Bernard Shakey is credited as the director, though that’s actually a name that Neil Young has used for his film projects as far back as 1974. Young’s most recent stint in the director’s chair was the oddball experiment Greendale, so it should be interesting to see what he’s cooked up.

We’ll let you know when we hear any word about a US distribution deal, though it seems the theatrical market would be a tough nut to crack unless the film’s “call for activism,” as Gilmore put it, is incredibly compelling.

Later this month, Edward Burns’ Purple Violets will be available exclusively on iTunes. You won’t see it in theaters, or on DVD or anywhere else — at least for awhile. Did you know this? I’ve written about it, and maybe you read that previous post, but if you’re not a regular reader of movie news and/or blogs, would you know about the landmark event? I haven’t seen any ads anywhere, nor have I even seen mention on the main iTunes page. When I search Purple Violets on the iTunes store, it only gives me the soundtrack — not even a mention that the film will soon be offered.

So, how is Purple Violets being marketed? I have no idea, which is sad because there’s a new bit of information that could be used to advertise to its target demographic. The film was awarded the top prize at the Savannah Film Festival, winning best narrative feature this past Saturday. Certainly this honor will appeal to indie film enthusiasts, no? Sure, the festival isn’t the biggest or most prestigious, but the award would still look good on an ad for the film. If only it had one.

Other winners in Savannah included The First Saturday in May and The Singing Revolution, which tied for the documentary award, and Bill Plympton’s Shuteye Hotel, which won best animation. First Saturday also picked up a producer award for co-directors/producers John Hennegan and Brad Hennegan and Singing Revolution also won the jury prize. Screenwriter David Benioff, whose adaptation The Kite Runner was screened at the fest, was honored with a non-competition award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema.

Could Paris Hilton become the next major movie star? Stranger things have happened (give me a few hours to come up with one), and the girl already has two flicks arriving in theaters next year — both of which are extremely opposite of one another. The Hollywood Reporter tells us Regent Releasing has picked up all North American rights on Hilton’s romantic comedy The Hottie or the Nottie with plans to throw it into theaters on February 8 … right before Valentine’s Day. Yay! Because there’s nothing I prefer more than seeing a Paris Hilton flick and then taking my significant other out for a splendid dinner.

In case you’re at all wondering about The Hottie and the Nottie, the film follows a guy (Joel David Moore) who’s been in love (or, as HR puts it, “obsessed”) with the same girl (Hilton) since first grade. But in order to win her love or a date or a cheap one night stand, our hero must find a date for the hottie’s not-so-hot best friend (as played by Christine Lakin — who, funnily enough, is hotter than Hilton in real life). I’m not sure where this wild flick is going to go from there, but I’m sure we’re in for plenty of hilarity and bad acting on Hilton’s part. I can imagine director Tim Putnam now, giving cues to Hilton: “Okay, so just look hot. Don’t act, simply read the lines … and be hot.” Movie magic at its finest, folks.