At the fourth Iberoamerican Co-production Meetings at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, Colombian project Latinos, to be directed by Victor Gaviria and produced by El Baile Films, was awarded with the main prize.

The award's sponsor, Spanish public TV station RTVE, will determine the amount of the prize, ranging from $200,286-$333,842 (Euros 150,000-250,000) after seeing the finished film. RTVE will hold the TV and DVD rights in Spain for the film.

Experienced director Gaviria previously made Palme d'Or nominated La vendedora de rosas and internationally known Sumas y Restas.

This time, the director's social sensibility shows up again focused on Latin American immigrants in Spain. The film tells the story of two teenage brothers whose lives change sharply when they must leave Medellin, their hometown, to meet their mother in Madrid after seven years of separation.

The script of Latino deals with a current and controversial problem in Spain as thousands of Latin Americans immigrants arrive every year. They look for work and aim for a better life for themselves and for their relatives from whom they have to move away. The reflection of this topical Spanish situation is one of the reasons RTVE choose it.

The budget is $2.24m, with the bulk of the funding not yet in place. Shooting is set to be in Madrid, Barcelona and Medellin.

According to Meetings coordinator Andrea Stavenhagen, '25 projects from 11 countries were selected among the 138 submitted. 20 were fiction and 5 were documentaries. Genre films were included for the first time this year.'

The three-member jury was comprised of former RTVE executive Jaime Boix, Argentinean poet Eliseo Alberto and Hugo Villa, production director of Mexican Institute of Film (IMCINE).

Cronicas chilangas, by Mexican Carlos Enrique Enderle Peña won the prizes from Swiss Effects, Churubusco Post, Titra California (subtitling of a 35 mm copy), Astro Estudio, and The Lift (edition and consulting expenses).

Also, Vedado, by Cubans Magdiel Aspillaga and Asori Soto won prizes of the New Art, Signis Oclacc, Titra California (digital subtitling and 500 DVD copies), and The Lift (travel expenses to Mexico).

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