Madrid-based production house Morena Films has boarded The Carpenter's Pencil (El Lapiz Del Carpintero), a feature film in development at Galician outfit Portozas Vision.

International co-producers are being sought for the film, which is backed by regional broadcaster Television Galicia. First-time feature director Anton Reixa is prepping Pencil for a May 2001 shoot in the northern Spanish province of Galicia. Reixa and Xose Morais are co-writing the script, based on a bestselling novel by Manuel Rivas.

This is the first new feature film announced out of Morena in its second year of operations. Launched by former Esicma head Juan Gordon at Cannes in 1999, Morena is currently pending the release of Jeff Goldblum-starrer One Of The Hollywood Ten.

Pencil marks the second feature out of Portozas following the recently completed Lena, a co-production with Alta Films, Trafico de Ideas and La Iguana Producciones.