India's Aparna Sen (pictured) picked up the gold prize for best film for Mr & Mrs Iyer at the fourth annual International Film Festival of Las Palmas (March 28-April 5), which also hosted the first edition of the EuroForum Co-Production Market.

Organisers of the first annual three-day EuroForum said that despite some last-minute cancellations, chalked up to the war in Iraq and individual scheduling problems, the debut event surpassed expectations.

Some 80 companies held more than 600 one-on-one meetings concerning the 40 film and TV projects presented.

"Even though we had just a short time to put the event together, the response was immediate and positive," said EuroForum director Teodoro Rios. "People are already talking about returning, and we think word of mouth will give this event greater importance in future editions."

Some of the projects cited as buzz titles at the EuroForum, which is modelled on events like Rotterdam's CineMart and Lanzarote's Spanish Film Screenings, included: Fuerteventura (It), The Mexican Girl (Ger), The Ring And The Book (Gr), Los Caminos Del Deseo (Sp), Who The Hell Are Bonnie And Clyde (Hung), You Am I (Lith), El Gran Silencio (Sp), Red Ice (Sp), The Coat (Turk), Aguaviva (Sp) and Hangman (UK).

Meanwhile, the festival's silver prize for best film went to Brazil's Uma Onda No Ar by Helvecio Ratton, who also went home with the public's prize. Ana Maria Muhe won best actress for Big Girls Don't Cry and Oscar Copp won best actor for Tony Gatlif's Swing.

Junji Sakamoto won the special jury prize for Bokunchi, while best new director went to Argentina's Diego Lerman for Tan De Repente and a special mention to Spaniard Juanjo Gimenez Pena for Tilt (Nos Hacemos Falta).