Seven projects chosen from 80applicants from across the world will compete for completion funding in thisyear's Films in Progress initiative.

The contenders will screenbefore a range of cinema professionals on September 20 and 21 at theDonostia-San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Each is hoping for finance to completetheir features, which are either still shooting or in post-production.

The line-up includes thedirectorial debut of The Constant Gardener and City Of God cinematographerCesar Charlone - a comedy The Pope's Toilet (El Bano Del Papa), co-directed withEnrique Fernandez

Three other hopefulspreviously participated in the initiative last March at the Latin American FilmFestival of Toulouse, which runs the joint venture with San Sebastian.

Mexican Francisco Vargas' ElViolin, also played in Cinefondation at Cannes.

The other two will this timescreen new versions: Uruguayan Manuel Nieto's La Perrera, from the producersof hits Whisky and 25 Watts; and Chilean AlfonsoGazitua's El Rey De San Gregorio, a love story set in aworking class barrio.

Theremaining three titles are Jorge Duran's E Proibido Proibir (Brazil); CamilaGuzman's French-Cuban co-production El Telon De Azucar; and from Ecuador,Esas No Son Penas co-directed by Anahi Hoeneisen and Daniel Andrade.

Some 80projects were presented to this edition by filmmakers from Latin America, theUS, France and Spain, a sign of both the continuing troubled state of financingfor Latino directors and the reach of Films in Progress (Cine En Construccion).