Spain'ssole pay-TV platform Digital Plus has signed new deals with local independentdistributors Alta Films, Wanda Vision, Vertigo, Musidora and Golem, coveringkey European arthouse hits such as Dogville, Goodbye, Lenin! and TheGirl With The Pearl Earring.

The dealscover only a handful of already-released titles cherry-picked from eachdistributor, and are among the first sold to the platform since the July 2003merger of Via Digital and Canal Satelite Digital.

"Theseagreements are with the most important independent distributors in the Spanishindustry," said Sogecable general manager Fernando Bovaira, who joined DigitalPlus executives at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Sept 17-25)to present new programming for the platform's film channels.

"We realisedwe were missing key titles," added Sogecable director of film channels JacquesRoldan. "Digital Plus cannot not have titles such as these."

Othertitles acquired include The Piano Teacher, Eight Women, Far From Heaven,Elephant, The Barbarian Invasions, Monster's Ball, No Man's Land and TheMagdalene Sisters, among others.

The platform also provided figures to confirm its fulfilmentof the legal obligation to invest 5% of its earnings in Spanish and Europeanproduct.

Just a dayearlier at San Sebastian the Spanish Producers' Federation (FAPAE) had restatedits proposal to the new Socialist government that it hold broadcasters moreaccountable on the 5% investment obligation.