Italian producerVeronica Salvi has launched a new film production and distribution company,named Dujass Film.

Salvi and partnerMarco Ambrosini formed Dujass after acquiring Esse&Bi Cinematografica, thecompany formerly run by Salvi and Italian director Paolo Modugno.

Dujass is alreadyactive on the acquisitions front. In Berlin, the outfit picked up OlivierDucastel and Jacques Martineau's title Crustaces Et Coquillages with Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi from BacFilms, as well as Latido's Spanish black comedy, Incautos, by Miguel Bardem and starring VictoriaAbril and Federico Luppi.

Dujass now aimsto handle around 12 titles every year, with an emphasis on family-orientedfeatures, particularly comedies and animation features.

The Rome-basedcompany's upcoming distribution slate is also expected to include Esse&Bi'sThe Wooden Camera andJose' Luis Massa's animation feature Patorizuto.

On the productionfront, Dujass is currently lining up a 3D animation feature, entitled LaStoria Di Leo. Directedby Mario Cambi, the film is about a vegetarian lion called Leo, whom all theother animals turn to for help when a ferocious white lion suddenly arrives inthe forest.

One of the firstproducers to introduce 3D animation in Italy, Salvi previously producedModugno's 2003 animation picture, L'Apetta Giulia E La Signora Vita.