US-basedcharitable foundation Global Film Initiative has awarded six $10,000 completiongrants to film-makers from the developing world to be used with finishingproduction and post-production costs.

The titles are: Manuel Niero Zas' story of a young man building ahouse in The Dog Pound (Uruguay), Albertina Carri's tale of anincestuous affair between siblings in Gemini (Argentina), Diao Yinan'sstory of a prison executioner who unknowingly sets up a possible date with the husbandof an executed prisoner in Night Train (China), Francisca Schweitzer andPablo Solaus' insomnia mystery Parenthesis (Chile), Ana Poliak's accountof a country boy who tries to settle in Bueno Aires in Pin Boy(Argentina) and Diao Yinan's relationship drama Uniform (China).

"Americans are quickly learning the value of knowing our fellowworld citizens," Initiative chairperson Susan Weeks Coulter said in astatement. "Our talented grantees and their films burnish and enhance thatknowing with passion, drama and discovery."

"The Global Film Initiative is honored to take an active role inpromoting a vital exchange at this time in history," executive director HollyOrnstein Carter added. "It's important for developing world film-makers to knowthat Americans care about their stories and their art."

The Initiative awarded its first round of completion funds lastyear to seven projects, three of which are complete and have ventured out intothis year's Un Certain Regard programme at Cannes (Juan Pablo Rebella and PabloStoll's Whisky), the 23rd International Istanbul Film Festival (Reha Erdem's What's A Human Anyway') and the 2004 International FilmFestival Rotterdam (Maria Joao Ganga's Hollow City).

The Initiative also acquires projects films from the developingworld for distribution in North America, curates the touring Global Lensprogramme and prepares educational materials for high school classrooms.