Oscar-nominated Colombian actress Catalina Sandino Morenohas signed on to the cast of $14.3m (Euros 12m) Spanish-UK-Portugalco-production The Heart Of The Earth,shooting from March 31.

Sandino Moreno, who earned anOscar nomination and Berlin'sSilver Bear for her feature film debut in 2004's Maria Full Of Grace (Maria LlenaEres De Gracia), starsin the true story-inspired, English-language tale of an uprising at a Spanishcopper mine owned by a UKcompany in the 1800s.

She plays the daughter of one of the exploited Spanishminers who finds herself in a complicated love triangle with two Brits, playedby Sienna Guillory (Love Actually)and Hugh Dancy (BasicInstinct 2).

They headline a cast which also includes the UK'sBernard Hill (Titanic), Portugal'sJoaquim de Almeida (Desperado) and Cuba'sJorge Perugorria (StrawberryAnd Chocolate). Rounding out the cast are Spain'sAna Fernandez (Solas),Elvira de Arminan (Poniente), Fernando Ramallo (Nico And Dani) and Gary Piquer (The Kovak Box).

The film is a co-production of Spain'sManufacturas Audiovisualesand Abra Producciones withthe UK's FutureFilm and Heart of the Earth Productions Limited. Portugal'sCosta do Castelo Filmes hassigned on to co-produce, bringing 10% of the budget. The UK'sSequence Film / IAC Film has international rights.

The project will pull 70% of its budget from Spain,including a significant portion from Andalusia-based private investment fund Surinvest, launched last September by a group of Andalusian film professionals and investors including Heart Of The Earth writer-directorAntonio Cuadri (You'reMy Hero).

Based on the novel by Juan CobosWilkins, the film will shoot for 12 weeks in Huelva and Madridin Spain, and Portimao in Portugal.