New Cinema Fund helps 9 projects

02/04/2003

The UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fund (NCF) announced it has invested some £1,3m (Euros1.9m) in nine films (including one documentary and five pilots) as part of its last round of awards.
Rick Elgood and Don Letts’s One Love, a contemporary “Romeo and Juliet” love story set in Jamaica, received £459,182 (Euros672.597). Currently in post-production, the film was produced by Yvonne Deutschmann, Sheelaagh Ferrell and Bjorn Eivind Aarskog.
A Way of Life directed by newcomer Amma Asante and produced by Peter Edwards, received £360,000 (Euros527.318) with an extra £10,000 (Euros14.647) as part of the NCF’s pilot scheme (enabling filmmakers to film a few key scenes to show their vision for the future feature film). Set in urban Wales, it tells the story of a teenage mother struggling against poverty and deprivation.
Stop History, the story of an ex-Kurdish freedom fighter living in London, will be directed by Wayne Holloway and produced by Natasha Dack (Tigerlily Films). It was awarded £375,000 (Euros549.289).
Cinefondation award winner Emily Young was given £102,500 (Euros150.139) towards her film, Helen of Peckham, a UK/French co-production with Peter Mullan that is now in post-production.
Kevin Macdonald’s new documentary, Touching The Void, received an extra £50,0000 (Euros73.238 ) for post-production, and four other pilots received around £10,000 (Euros14.647) each: Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones, The Purifiers by Richard Jobson, Sex Planet, produced by Autonomous Films, and Anatomy of Grief, produced by Giant Films.
Commenting on the new award recipients, Paul Trijbits, Head of the NCF said: “The role of the NCF is to develop tomorrow’s cinema by supporting distinctive and diverse films and filmmakers of today. We’re delighted with the successes that have come out from our investments to date such as The NCF contributed to British hit films and co-productions like The Magdalene Sisters [+see also:
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