As sales companies and buyers go terrace hopping in Rome thequestion on everyone's mind is will Rome's inaugural Business Street (Oct14-16) catch on'

Turnout atop Hotel Bernini's terrazza - one of the ViaVeneto hubs for the 160 buyers and 50 sales companies at the market was full ofindustry regulars who already see Rome as a convenient stepping stone to wrap-updeals during the fall festival gridlock.

'I came here to finalise deals I started inToronto,' said Emilie Georges, of Paris-based Memento Films.

Early Saturday, Georges was able to seal pacts (many startedin Toronto) for multiple territories for Venice Golden Lion winner StillLife. Mementoconfirmed sales to Italy's Lucky Red, France's Ad Vitam, Spain's Golem, Germany'sDelphi, Scandinavia's Nonstop Entertainment and Japan's Bitters End -- only USand South America are left to be worked out and Georges says deals in thoseterritories are not far behind.

'Rome is more convenient than Milan,' said Georgesreferring to Milan's now-defunct Mifed market. Here you have real cinemas andthe locations are wonderful.' (Business Street relies on three cinemasalong Via Veneto for daytime industry screenings.)

Other experts mirrored these thoughts: Loic Magneron of WideManagement classified the market's video rooms - four in total set up in theWestin Excelsior - as 'amazing.' 'They are really comfortable, youhave the feeling that you are in a private screening, and if your product is marketable,buyers will come.'

Business Street's co-manager and Cannes Market veteranSylvain Auzou says the independent-centric market is really no threat toPusan's market, which runs concurrently. 'We have a verbal agreement ofrespect. We have asked companies to split their representation, and this isworking pretty well,' Auzou said, offering the examples of CelluloidDreams, Match Factory and Wide Management as companies who are attending bothevents.