Alejandro Amenabar'sacclaimed The Sea Inside (Mar Adentro) got off to a superb internationalstart in the director's home-territory, Spain, at the weekend.

The drama, which played incompetition at the Venice Film Festival last week, sold nearly 450,000 ticketsin Spain at the weekend for a $2.8m (Euro 2.3m) gross that saw it claim 12thposition on the international table - the highest placed non-US title. WarnerSogefilms distributes in Spain with Sogepaq handling international sales.

The film did less well inItaly, however. Released on 54 screens by local distributor Lucky Red theJavier Bardem starring film took just $36,225 (Euros 30,555).

Meanwhile pole positionopenings in the UK ($2.6m including previews) and Italy ($1.9m with previews)heralded the European debut of Steven Spielberg's The Terminal. The TomHanks film leapt up the international chart in its second week, following aSouth Korean launch through CJ Entertainment last week.

The comedy-drama also sawstrong number one starts in Taiwan ($729,814 from 50 screens includingpreviews) and Thailand ($313,986 from 35 screens).

Another UIP title, VanHelsing, also received a boost this week. Now at the end of itsinternational run the action-horror blockbuster launched on nearly 500 screensin Japan for Gaga Communications lifting it back to fifth position on theinternational table.

The lead two positionsremained unchanged from last week with BVI's The Village cementing itshold at the top with pole position openings in Australia, New Zealand, Argentinaand Switzerland.

Fox's Garfield alsocontinues to play well and added Spain to its list of territories this week.The ginger cat opened top in the country, narrowly ahead of The Sea Insidethanks to a 75-screen superior venue count.

Garfield has several key territories, including Australia,Italy, Russia and Japan still to come and looks good to pass $100minternationally. The comedy saw its international cumulative gross ($77.7m todate) surpass the North America tally of $75m this week, yet another example ofinternational improving on domestic takes this summer (see ScreenInternational's In Focus page this week).

For full international chart, click here

The international table is compiled each week byLeonard Klady for Screen International.