Maria Rojo has resigned from her post as chair of the Mexican delegation to the US-Mexico Bilateral Film Commission in protest against the Mexican Supreme Court's decision to overturn a ban on the dubbing of foreign films into Spanish (Screendaily March 20).

The veteran Mexican actress has accused the Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents the Hollywood studios' interests, of having pressured the court to rule in their favour.

This latest development aggravates an already troubled relationship between the US and Mexican film industries. The commission was set up last year by both parties to iron out differences on financing, distribution and exhibition in Mexico.

Before the Supreme Court ruling, only children's and non-fiction films were allowed to be dubbed into Spanish. Foreign films now have a stronger chance of increasing their box office takings in rural areas where audiences have had trouble with subtitles.