The San Sebastian Festival launches the I. Europe-Latin America CO-PRODUCTION FORUM to take place on september 27 and 28 at the festival's 60th edition

This year's San Sebastian Festival launches the I. Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum, thereby consolidating its position as a benchmark platform and hub between both film worlds. This Forum is an opportunity to promote projects of greater magnitude and strengthen the European and Latin American industries by encouraging cooperation between professionals and opening out to new international markets.

This initiative is possible thanks to the sponsorship of the Basque Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Trade and Tourism and the collaboration of the FAPAE (Federation of Spanish Audiovisual Producer Associations), IBAIA, (Association of Independent Audiovisual Production Companies of the Basque Country), EPE-AVE (Basque Film Producers Association), Etxepare Basque Institute, Eiken (Basque Audio - visual Cluster), Media Antena Euskal Herria , Zineuskadi and Ibermedia Programme.

Aimed at developing projects, the Forum complements initiatives already existing at the Festival intended to create closer ties with Latin America, from the project stage with the Co-production Forum to exhibition in Horizontes Latinos, not forgetting the post-production stage with Films in Progress.

The Co-production Forum is open to feature film projects from Europe and Latin America with a minimum duration of 60 minutes and 20% of their financing already assured. European projects must have a direct connection with Latin America. The Festival will select a maximum of 20 projects based on the reports of three international experts.

The project heads will be able to find strategic, industrial and financial partners from all over the world to complete the funding of their projects. The Forum will encourage informal meetings between them so that they can get to know one another, exchange experiences and undertake collaboration on future projects. To do this, we will provide them with a Matchmakers service.

Over the two days and set around the Forum, a variety of parallel activities will be organised including round tables, workshops and presentations providing a context in which to identify innovating trends in contents and technology and study ways of adapting to the continuous market changes to favour new business opportunities.

Deadline for project registration: 30 June 2012