Underlining its growing appetite for upscale English-language fare,Paris-based Celluloid Dreams is taking up sales duties on US road movie CampfiresBurning, the debut feature from Mary Sweeney. The $5 million feature, shootingnext summer for delivery in 2007, will be shot by Diego Vignatti Martinez (BattleIn Heaven) and cast by Johanna Ray (The Black Dahlia).

Campfires Burning follows a father and daughter on an epic journey in avintage convertible through the west. Their itinerary takes in the Badlands ofSouth Dakota, the Colorado Rockies, Utah's Monument Valley and the MeteorCrater of Arizona. En route, they're exposed to the best and worst of themodern American experience: both beauty and squalor.

This will be Sweeney's first feature as director. An editor and produceron many of David Lynch's films, she wrote the sceenplay for The StraightStory, for which the late Richard Farnsworth was Oscar-nominated "After25 years working as a filmmaker; editing, producing and writing, CampfiresBurning is a script that leaves meno choice but to take up directing," Sweeney said in a statement.

Sweeney will write, direct and edit the project and co-produce it withHengameh Panahi at Celluloid Dreams Productions. Christina Varotsis will be theline producer.

"I'm delighted to be supporting Mary's directorial debut. She hasalready proven her formidable talents in so many other facets of the business;her choice to direct this time is a natural and exciting step, especially withsuch a pertinent and touching script. I'll make sure she gets all the creativefreedom and encouragement she needs to express her vision in her film."Hengameh Panahi said in a statement.