Mexican project Blue Eyelids (Parpados Azules) byErnesto Contreras, a former Berlinale Talent Campus participant, was named thewinner of the first Ibero-American Co-production Meeting at last week'sGuadalajara International Film Festival.

Blue Eyelids beat nineteen other projects to takethe prize. All of the projects were presented by their respective directors toa jury during two days of pitching sessions.

Contreras has twice won prizes at Guadalajara for hisshort films.

Thirty producers, financiers, distributors and film fundchiefs attended the sessions. Their overall impression was very positive.Speaking to ScreenDaily.com, USindependent producer Jim Stark (Mystery Train, Cold Fever) said he waspleasantly surprised by the quality of the projects and the way they werepresented.

His comments were echoed by Phillipe Bober of TheCo-production Office (Noi Albinoi, Songs From The Second Floor) whofound the selection very good, full of new and promising talents and stressedthat a number of the projects, had real chances of heading into production.

Victor Ugalde, head of Mexico's Videocine Film Fund, toldScreenDaily.com that at least eight more projects seem certain to headinto production following contacts established with foreign potential co-productionpartners at the pitching sessions.

The eight projects are:

El Rey De Los Huevones by Borys Quercia whose SexoCon Amor was a huge box office hit in native Chile.

31 minutes, a Chilean animation project targetinga children's audience, by Alvaro Diaz and Pedro Peirano.

Isla D Paz by Mauricio Samaniego (Ecuador) who wasassistant director of Sebastian Cordero's internationally acclaimed Cronicas.

Dia Naranja by Alajandra Szeplaki (Venuezala)

En Suenos by Carlos Salces whose backgroundincludes the internationally multi-awarded short En El Espejo Del Cielo(1999 Berlin Silver Bear);

Cinco Dias Con Nora by Mariana Chenillo,

Perfume de Gardenias by Enrique Arroyo;

Quemar Naves by the acclaimed theatre director Francisco Franco.

Meanwhile, Alejandra Paulin - in charge of the 3rdIberoamerican Film Market - reported a considerable increase in activitiescompared to last year. Three hundred and ten films from 26 countries wereregistered in the market, a 30% increase over 2004.

The films that generated particular interest were, fromMexico, El Mago, an Imcine (Mexican Film Institute) and CUEC film schoolproduction, sold by Imcine and directed by newcomer Jaime Aparicio; DosAuroras by veteran director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, produced and sold bythe University of Guadalajara; and Noticias Lejanas, an Imcine and CCCfilm school production, sold by Imcine and directed by debutant Ricardo Benet.

Paola Corvino of Italian sales agent Intramovies isconsidering securing rights for Dos Auroras, while Kevin Williams'Spanish outlet KWA courted El Mago and Noticias Lejanas.

Argentinian distributor Luis Carlos Vainikoff of Artkinoacquired Colombian title La Sombra Del Caminante, produced and sold byTucan Producciones and directed by newcomer Ciro Guerra. Among otherLatinamerican productions that generated strong buzz among sales agents wereanother Colombian production, Sumas y Restas , produced and sold byLatino Films, directed by Victor Gaviria and the Chilean/Spanish/Argentinianco-production Cachimba, produced by Andrea Films/Viriato Films/ZarlekProductions, sold by Andrea Films (Chile) and directed by Chilean SilvioCaiozzi.