El Deseo, the Madrid-based shingle of Pedro and Agustin Almodovar, will produce a five-film slate from new Argentinean talent.
El Deseo already has Lucrecia Martel's third feature, "La mujer rubia," in post. It co-produced Martel's "The Holy Girl."
But the new production push takes El Deseo's Argentinean involvement to another level. The first new film on the slate, "El ultimo verano de La Boyita," written and directed by Julia Solomonoff ("Hermanas"), started shooting in late January in Buenos Aires.
The Almodovar brothers have also pacted with vet Argentine producer Lita Stantic Prods., who has "El cafe de los maestros" in Berlin, to co-produce "Choripan." Alfredo Arias is attached to direct. Two other films are also in development.
"This is a continuation of what we started with Lucrecia Martel. It brings us into contact with what we find most exciting: projects which imply artistic risk," said producer Agustin Almodovar.
"Argentine cinema has ideas, innovative points of departure and much creativity. Spain and Argentina are culturally near each other. Some directors can, in a few years, be making very interesting films for larger audiences," he added, citing the case of Isabel Coixet, for whom El Deseo produced "My Life Without Me" and "The Secret Life of Words." Coixet has "Elegy," starring Penelope Cruz, unspooling in the Berlin competition.
Agustin Almodovar and Esther Garcia, El Deseo's line producer, visited Argentina last September to talk to companies.
Another aim of the Argentinian initiative, said Agustin Almodovar, is to aid distribution, enrolling El Deseo's international circuit of sales agents -- such as Focus and Pathe -- or national territory distributors.
(Emilio Mayorga in Madrid contributed to this report.)
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