In the past month, local films accounted for 20% of total admissions in Argentina - a phenomenon few countries can boast against the assault of Hollywood titles.

Argentineans have always displayed a healthy interest in their national output. However, the release of various strong local titles emerging at around the same period has contributed to the significant turnout.

Unorthodox marketing methods with tie-ins to supermarkets, banks and other products and services have also helped to boost admissions. An estimated 30% of the 180,000 admissions to Adolfo Aristarain's award-winning Lugares Comunes were enticed by a tie-in with the Coto Supermarket chain, according to distributor Bernardo Zupnik. Lugares Comunes recently took home the Best Actress and Best Screenplay awards at San Sebastian.

Among the top five titles last week, three were Argentinean, including Adrian Caetano's Un Oso Rojo and Pablo Trapero's El Bonaerense. The latter participated in Cannes' Un Certain Regard this year.

Expectations are high for the upcoming film by popular director Marcelo Pineyro (pictured) whose drama Kamchatka debuts this coming Thursday. It is set in 1976 during General Pinochet's military dictatorship as seen through the eyes of a 10 year old boy. Ricardo Darin, who was the lead in Son Of The Bride, and Cecilia Roth who starred in Pedro Almodovar's Oscar-winning All About My Mother, play his parents.