Guatemalan film Dust (Polvo) has led the winners at the 25th ‘Rencontres’ festival of Latin American cinema in Toulouse.

Directed by Julio Hernández Cordón, Dust won the Coup de Coueur at the festival, which ran from March 15-24. The Guatemala-Chili-Spain co-production was also awarded $8,400 for distribution.

Dust is the story of a documentary film being made about victims who disappeared during the 1982 military conflict in Guatemala.

The jury also made mention of Mexican feature Las lagrimas, directed by Pablo Delgado Sánchez, about two brothers who get lost in the forest.

The jury included Marco Bechis (director), Nicolas Cazalé (actor), Fiorella Moretti (producer), Nahuel Pérez (actor) and Alejo Franzetti (director).

Films in Progress, a competition aimed to help unfinished South American projects along with San Sebastián film festival, was won by Chili-France co-production El verano de los peces voladores.

The film, directed by Marcela Said, tells the story of a group of white landowners in southern Chili who face conflicts with the Mapuche indians.

It picked up the Prix Espécial Cine + En Contsruction and the Prix Cinema en Construction. The prize will help with the post production and promotion of the film.

The previous Films in Progress winner, held in San Sebastián last September, was Berlinale award-winner Gloria.

More than 50 producers and distributors from across Europe were offered screenings of six projects.

The prize from European distributors was handled to Climas, a Peruvian-Colombian co production directed by Enrica Pérez.

Public prize La Depeche Du Midi was awarded to Chilian feature Joven y alocada, by Marialy Rivas, about a rebel female youngster with a religious family.

Venezuelan film la Piscina, by Carlos Machado, won the CCAS prix granted by French electricians, and the Discovery prize of the French critics.

In an edition notable for the success of Chilean productions, La chupilca del diablo won the Fipresci prize.