Spain's leading film festival, the San Sebastian International Film Festival, has added a new competitive section devoted to Latin American cinema, further strengthening its position as a key showcase for Spanish and Latin American product and talent.

Dubbed Horizontes Latinos, the new section will run alongside the festival's existing Official and Zabaltegi sections. Films entirely or partially produced in Latin America, directed by filmmakers of Latin origin or inspired by Latin culture will be eligible. An international jury will confer a prize worth Euros 18,000.

San Sebastian already offers a Made In Spain section to present a showcase of the year's most interesting Spanish productions, and co-hosts the Films in Progress (Cine en Construccion) initiative with the Latin American Screenings of Toulouse to help attach financiers to unfinished Latin American and Spanish films.

The festival plans to publish a book about Latin American cinema in tandem with the launch of Horizontes Latinos at its upcoming 51st edition next September 18-27. Last year, Spain's Mondays In The Sun won the festival's top Golden Shell prize for best film.

Meanwhile, the festival recently signed on as one of the founding members of the City of San Sebastian's newly launched Film Commission.

Intended to serve national and foreign productions wishing to shoot on the northern coastal town, the Commission is also supported by the City and Basque Producers' Associations EPE-APV and IBAIA.