Two new production companies have been launched inArgentina with the backing of Spanish partners.

Pampa Films is owned by Pablo Bossi --former president ofleading production house Patagonik Film Group-- in association with directorJuan Pablo Buscarini and renowned Spanish producers Julio and Carlos Fernandezfrom Filmax.

Haddock Films is a partnership between Vanessa Ragone, CEOof Zona Audiovisual Argentina, and Gerardo Herrero of Spain's Tornasol Films.

A third Spanish outfit, Jose Maria Morales' Wanda Vision,is partnered with local production outfits in financing a three-screen newart-house cinema complex to be open in Buenos Aires in mid-2007.

Pampa has announced a slate of seven projects for 2007beginning in March with Ricardo Darin's directional debut The Signal, a project Eduardo Mignogna was about to direct whenhe died October 6.

The other projects are Andres Schaer's animated movie TheHairy Tooth Fairy 2: The True Story, asequel to this year local family hit; top local star Florencia Pena's comedy Enloqueciendonos(Getting Crazy); Raul Rodriguez Peila's Azucena: 375Days, a biopic of Azucena Villaflor,founder of Mothers of Plaza de Mayo written by Aida Bortnik; adventure tale ElInventor de Juegos (Game Inventor) based on Pablo de Santis' best-selling novel;fantasy film Hadas y Dragones (Fairiesand Dragons); and Federico Cueva's adultfantasy thriller Lazarus.

HaddockFilms, which has co-produced this year's Ariel Winograd's Cara de Queso (Cheese Face) and Hernan Gaffet's Ciudad en Celo, has also announced a five-film slate, with eachfilm in the $ 2.5m budget range.

Haddock is pre-producing Gabriel Bossio's Dale de Bomba, a co-production with Spain and Uruguay; JuanMart'nez Moreno's Un Buen Hombre (AGood Man); Guillermo de La Guardia and Gerardo Herrero's QueParezca un Accidente; and ParaguayanMarcelo Tolces' 18 Cigarrillos y Medio (18 Cigarettes and a Half).The new outfit is also working on Claudia Pineiro's acclaimed and award winningnovel Las Viudas de los Jueves (Thursdays Widows) to be shot in the second half of 2007.