MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) will partner to produce a compilation DVD collection featuring some of the most emblematic films produced in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, to be made available to US universities in 2008.

The goal of the project is to acquaint American film audiences with the significant achievements of Latin American cinema. The announcement was made at a private reception attended by the Consul Generals of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, members of the diplomatic and creative communities from all three countries, and representatives of the US film industry.

“The US and Latin American Film Industries share a strong interest in developing culturally-diverse artistic visions to make great movies, and this collection will highlight the significant contributions that Latin American filmmakers have made to the global cinema,” said Bob Pisano, President and Chief Operating Officer of the MPAA.

Since 2000, MPAA member companies have co-produced or distributed over 100 local feature films in the Latin American region, including such critically-acclaimed works as Brazil’s Oscar-nominee “Carandiru,” the Mexican political and romantic drama “The Crime of Father Amaro,” and the Argentine drama “Nine Queens.”

In all, the collection will contain 60 films – 20 from each of the three countries. In Brazil, the National Film Archive will select 20 titles, and in Mexico and Argentina, a mix of producers and academic specialists will determine which films to include in the DVD collection. The collection will be divided into four categories: classic, contemporary, experimental and documentary. DVD copies of the collection will be subtitled into English and offered to interested libraries, universities, Latin American studies centers and other institutions throughout the U.S., aimed primarily at film professionals and students, as well as teachers, and students of Latin American studies.

“Films provide a window into the cultures of other countries and serve as an excellent complement to traditional forms of academic study,” according to Randal Johnson, Director of the Latin American Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Coordinator the project in the U.S, who will be responsible for selection of the recipients of the DVD collection.

This non-profit, educational project is a partnership between the Latin American Regional Office of the Motion Picture Association and the Latin American Institute of the University of California at Los Angeles. Steve Solot, Senior Vice President for Latin American Operations of the MPA, is the Latin American Coordinator.