19/12/2006

In its latest round of support, the UK Film Council’s Prints & Advertising Fund has awarded £100,343 to David Moreau and Xavier Palud’s horror film Them [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see article), to be released by Metrodome Distribution on January 26. The UK FC’s P&A support to the French film – described as a “foreign language film with a mainstream potential” – will go towards the making of a trailer and online ads.

Dogwood Pictures was awarded £4,654 for Jasmila Zbanic’s Berlin-winning film Esma’s Secret [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Barbara Albert
interview: Jasmila Zbanic
film profile], released last Friday, and for Chilean director Alicia Scherson’s directorial debut Play, to be released on January 19.

Lionsgate Film Distribution received £4,635 for the release next May of Gavin Claxton’s UK comedy The All Together, starring Martin Freeman. The award will be used to broaden the film’s release through digital distribution. Darren Fisher’s Popcorn, another UK comedy, will hopefully increase its theatrical potential thanks to the UK FC’s extra £4,779 P&A support. The film will be released by Spark Pictures next spring.

A third UK low budget film, Beata Hughes’ directorial debut In The Name Of, was awarded £5,000 towards its digital distribution next February, to be coordinated by Tiger Ventures. The UK/Polish co-production was the opening film of London’s Polish Film Festival earlier this month.

As a special Christmas present to UK audiences, the UK FC’s P&A Fund also provided £25,500 in support to the BFI’s re-release of Victor Fleming’s classic film The Wizard of Oz, which was launched last Friday on 40 screens rather than 28.