San Sebastian's Films In Progress sidebar will see six Latin American film projects from promising film makers compete for nearly $40,000 worth of completion funding and technical support.

The line-up includes A Festa Da Menina Morta, a Brazil-Argentina-Portugal co-production from first time director Matheus Nachtergaele, star of such films as City Of God and Central Station; Federico Veiroj's Acne (Uruguay-Argentina-Spain-Mexico) about an awkward teenage boy losing his virginity; Julio Hernandez Cordon's Gasolina, a Guatemalan film that follows the exploits of three young boys who steal a can of gasoline; Werner Schumann's Brazilian film Sol Na Neblina and two films from Argentina, Fernando Diaz' La Extranjera and Celina Murga's Una Semana Solos.

The potential prizes up for grabs include the Industry Award, which provides enough funding and support from various European companies, including Kodak and Technicolor to complete post production; the TVE award, which provides broadcasting rights for one of the selected films; the Signis Award, which carries up to $25,000 worth of post production support and the Casa de America Award offering $14,000 in post production funding.

Films In Progress has already launched several Latin American films inlcuding Tristan Bauer's Falklands War drama Blessed By Fire (Ilumin ados Por El Fuego) in 2004, which went on to win the special jury prize at the 2005 San Sebastian Film Festival and closed sales to more than 20 territories. While last year's Casa de America winner The Milky Way from director Lina Chamie, went on to appear in Critics Week at Cannes this year.

Chamie told Screendaily: 'It is very difficult to find funding for independent films in Brazil. Films In Progress proved vital for completing my film.'

San Sebastian also announced the line-up for the Films In Progress spin off Cinema In Construction, which backs films still at the provisional stage from the Maghreb region of Northern Africa and Portuguese speaking African countries.