Spanish production house Plural Entertainment is rumoured to be closing a deal to buy out an 80% share of up-and-coming Madrid-based producer Tesela PC.

The transaction would provide Tesela with a direct link to heavyweight Spanish media and publishing conglomerate Grupo Prisa, which owns 100% of Plural Entertainment.

Tesela was launched in May 1998 under the direction of veteran film executive Jose Antonio Felez. The company is perhaps best known as producer of Achero Manas' award-winning film Pellet (El Bola) and is now prepping - among other projects - Manas' next film, November (Noviembre). The Euros 3m tragi-comedy begins shooting in August with actors Ingrid Rubio (All Stewardesses Go To Heaven) and newcomer Oscar Jaenada attached to star.

Prisa launched Plural in March of 2001 as a film, TV and documentary producer with offices in Madrid and New York to target the Spanish-speaking markets of Spain, the US and Latin America.

President Jose Vicuna and GM Luis Fernandez oversee the company, which has strong production ties to Mexico's Televisa and Argos Comunicacion, The New York Times television filial and Spanish-language publishing giant Santillana.

Prisa also houses interests in a raft of other local film and TV outfits through media filial Sogecable, co-owned with StudioCanal France, including production-rights house Sogecine-Sogepaq, distributor Warner Sogefilms, exhibitor Warner Lusomundo and pay TV platforms Canal Plus and Canal Satelite Digital.