The Global FilmInitiative, the US-based charitable foundation dedicated to the promotion ofcross-cultural understanding through cinema, has acquired five films for itsdistribution and education programmes.

The filmsinclude Rashid Masharawi's drama Ticket to Jerusalem, about a Palestinian filmprojectionist's struggle to screen a film in Jerusalem's Old City,and Adoor Gopalakrishnan's drama Shadow Kill, which centres on a remorseful Indianpublic executioner.

The three otheracquisitions are: Tunisian director Jilani Saadi's local politics comedy Khorma; Renato Falcao's surreal Braziliancomedy Margarette's Feast; and Manijeh Hekmatis Iranian drama Women'sPrison.

"Thesefilms represent a cross-section of the cinematic talents that Americanaudiences are just not seeing on a sustained basis right now," GlobalFilm Initiative chairperson Susan Coulter said in a statement.

"TheInitiative is proud to include these compelling, original stories in ourgrowing library."

The Global FilmInitiative recently named six film-makers who will receive completion fundsunder its inaugural granting programme.

The recipientswere chosen from a pool of 31 film-makers from 18 countries and will also gethelp with US distribution.