A new joint production-distribution accord encompassing feature films, TV movies and miniseries, unites two giants from opposite sides of the Atlantic: Spain's Plural Entertainment, 100% owned by media conglom Grupo Prisa, and Mexico's Televisa Cine, the film arm of Televisa.

The wide-ranging agreement extends an existing relationship between the two companies, co-producers alongside Mexico's Argos and Videocine of Walter Doehner's The Blue Room (La Habitacion Azul), which has its world premiere this week in competition at the Valladolid International Film Week.

Valladolid kicks off today with opening film 11'09"01, a compilation of short films about September 11, and closes next weekend with a special screening of Charlie Chaplin's classic The Great Dictator. The official competition will bring high-profile directing talent to the city - including, among others, Ken Loach, Costa-Gavras, Atom Egoyan, Larry Clark, Annette K Oleson and Caroline Link.

The Plural-Televisa agreement, signed by Televisa's Eckehardt Von Damm and Plural's Jose Vicuna and Luis Fernandez, additionally encompasses the joint commercialisation of library product from both partners.

Development is already underway on animation project Una Pelicula De Huevos and the screen adaptation of Arturo Perez Reverte's recent novel La Reina Del Sur, the script for which is being written by Agustin Diaz-Yanes (No News From God). The partners also co-produced El Tigre De Santa Julia, which recently premiered in Mexico.

Televisa is one of the Spanish-speaking world's most important media groups, and among the biggest film producer-distributors in Mexico, laying claim to more than 30% of the local market. It handles Warner Bros and New Line product exclusively in Mexico. The company produces an average six films per year.

With offices in Madrid and New York, start-up producer Plural Entertainment is active in Spanish-language film, TV and documentary production. Last June it bought out 80% of Madrid-based production house Tesela. The company is currently shooting Columbian director Sergio Cabrera's documentary Ciudadano Escobar, which will be distributed in the US through ICM.

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