The fourth edition of the Las Palmas International Film Festival (March 28-April 5), is to introduce a new co-production market: EuroForum (April 3-5).

The event follows a growing and successful new trend in festivals whereby film projects in their early stages are presented to potential co-producers, financiers and distributors.

Organisers say some 80 companies are anticipated at the EuroForum, 43 of which have been invited to present a feature film, documentary or TV movie project at some stage of development. Among others, the participants are expected to include Miramax, Wild Bunch and the start-up local-language production arms of Warner and Columbia in Spain.

"We're very happy with the response," said Teodoro Rios, director of the EuroForum and also of Spain's Lanzarote Screenings. "This forum targets projects in development as opposed to films already completed, and this may be precisely the best moment for it. In today's difficult market we have to seek partners, unite forces and share risks."

Ten of the projects come from Spain, seven from the UK, five from Italy, four from Germany, two each from France and Greece, and one each from Holland, Turkey, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia and Poland.

Meanwhile, the titles in the official competition section of the festival, which runs alongside an equally international short film competition and multiple sidebars, include: Maria Von Helland's Big Girls Don't Cry (Ger); Riri Riza's Eliana, Eliana (Indonesia); Ana Maria Dusl's Blue Moon (Austria); Helvecio Ratton's Uma Onda No Ar (Brazil); Luis Manzo's La Pluma Del Arcangel (Venezuela); Tony Gatlif's Swing (Fr); Ignacio Ortiz Cruz's Cuento De Hadas Para Dormir Cocodrilos (Mex); and Junji Sakamoto's Bokunchi (Jap) and The Stone Raft (La Balsa De Piedra) by George Sluizer (Port-Sp).

Denzel Washington's directorial debut Antwone Fisher will open the festival and the closing film is Donald Petrie's How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.