Spain'sFilmax has signed a deal to distribute Lauren Films'catalogue of titles on DVD in Spain.

Starting this month, Filmax willhandle all Lauren catalogue titles and new releases. Recent titles include Beautiful Boxer andThe Importance OfBeing Ernest, while among the cataloguetitles encompassed by the dealare The English Patient, The Cider HouseRules, Life Is Beautiful and a long list of Woody Allen films which comefrom Lauren's many years as preferential distributor in Spainfor Miramax.

The move comes as part of a scaling back of theBarcelona-based Lauren's distribution and exhibition activities afterover-expansion of its theatre chain and a stranglehold on local TV pick-ups offoreign feature acquisitions led the company to file for credit production inJune 2004.

"Once the strategic decision was taken to license out thedistribution I chose Filmax from among the differentoptions available," Lauren founder and chief Antonio Llorenssaid.

"It is with great satisfaction that we incorporate theLauren library, the result of many years of successes, in our DVDcatalogue, which will allow us to reaffirm our leadership in the Spanish homevideo market," added Filmax president Julio Fernandez.