The Latin American Film Screenings of Toulouse, France (March 21-30) and Spain's San Sebastian International Film Festival (Sept 18-27) have unveiled the five new feature films set to participate in this year's third annual Films in Progress (Cine en Construccion) program, which aims to bring needed financiers on board unfinished Latin American films.

All of the films selected to participate come from Argentina. "This was just a coincidence, they were the best" says Jose Maria Riba, director of the programme, which received 39 entries from 11 Latin American countries.

But, he adds, "I think it also corresponds to a reality and a trend. Argentinian cinema is experiencing a resurgence right now. We've been saying this for a while."

Now, he says, the international market is catching on. Among other notable examples, Riba points to two Argentinean titles from last year's edition of Films in Progress which stand out: Carlos Sorin's Minimal Stories (Historias Minimas) won rave reviews and a special jury prize at San Sebastian, and Santiago Loza's Extrano (aka Grieta) recently picked up one of three top VPRO Tiger Awards at Rotterdam.

This year's five new titles include: Ana Y Los Otros (Celina Murga), Bar El Chino (Daniel Burak), Pueblo Chico (Fernan Rudnik), El Transcurso De Las Cosas (Esteban Menis), Pyme (Sitiados) (Alejandro Malowicki). Two other films carried over from last year's program are Cuba's Siete Dias, Siete Noches from Joel Cano, and Argentina's Capital Rancho by Gabriel Bertini.

The films screen for producers, distributors, technical firms, broadcasters, festivals and other organisations or companies related to the various stages of a film's creation and exploitation.

Riba anticipates at least 40 company representatives at the Toulouse screenings, which run for two days (March 27-28). The Films in Progress screenings in San Sebastian also invite Spanish films to participate.