Spanish production company Plural Entertainment, Mexican producer-distributor Televisa Cine and Miami-based talent management and marketing firm Latin World Entertainment have formed a joint venture to distribute Hispanic films in the United States.

The new venture aims to capitalise on the growing Latino market in the US and release at least five feature films in 2003. The agreement was unveiled last week during the Latino Film Festival of New York by Plural's GM Luis Fernandez and president Jose Vicuna, Televisa GM Eckehardt Von Damm and Latin World president Luis Balaguer.

Among the films to be released will be productions of the partners. The agreement furthers an existing relationship between Plural and Televisa, which together co-produced two films last year -- The Blue Room (La Habitacion Azul) and El Tigre De Santa Julia -- and are now developing a feature film adaptation of Arturo Perez Reverte's hit novel La Reina Del Sur, among other projects.