Fabian Bielinsky's El Aura (The Aura), his follow-up to local smash Nine Queens, has opened to record-breaking numbers in its hometerritory of Argentina.

Producer Patagonik Filmsreported that the film was seen by a massive 120,000 spectators on its firstweekend out on 51 prints through Patagonik backer Buena Vista International(BVI).

That figure is as much asthree times' the average weekend results for films of any nationality inArgentina, according to Patagonik's Pablo Bossi and Octavio Nadal who added in San Sebastian thatthey were talking with BVI to raise the number of prints on release in thecountry.

El Aura reunited Bielinsky with Nine Queens star Ricardo Darin in an entirely different kind ofrole, playing a taciturn taxidermist with a photographic memory who voluntarilyinvolves himself in a dangerous scheme to rob a rural casino.

Celluloid Dreams is handlinginternational sales and has already sold it to Metropolitan in France, Madmanin Australia and Prooptiki in Greece.

The film is in competitionat the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Sept 15-24) this week, andDarin is already gaining buzz as a contender for an acting prize.

Meanwhile Darin announceddetails of his next film The Education Of A Fairy (La Educacion De Un Hada) on Monday at the festival. Irene Jacob will co-starwhich is about a man left dumbstruck when his girlfriend abandons him and takesher young son with her. Jose Luis Cuerda (Butterfly) will direct and wrote the script based on the novelby Didier Van Cauwelaert.

The Euros 5m film, whichparticipated in the Berlin Co-Production Market, will shoot outside Barcelonafor nine weeks starting in mid-October. Co-producers include Tornasol Films,Finales Felices and Messidor from Spain, together with minority partnersLazennec (Fr), Madragoa Filmes (Port), Pol-Ka Producciones (Arg). Latido ishandling international sales.