German fund cashes up 25 titles

Sutherland, Miller star in slate of new pix

By CHRISTIAN KOEHL

COLOGNE -- The state film fund of North RhineWestphalia, Filmstiftung NRW, has lined up S5.5 million ($5.3 million) for 25 productions including new pics with Donald Sutherland and Jonny Lee Miller.

Sutherland will star in German-Italian co-production "Piazza delle cinque lune," a political thriller about a terrorist kidnapping in the '70s, directed by Renzo Martinelli.

Getting in gear

Jonny Lee Miller ("Trainspotting") will play cyclist Graeme Obree in sports drama "The Flying Scotsman," helmed by Douglas McKinnon. Pic is co-produced by Glasgow unit Bronco Films and Berlin-based Zero Film.

Both pics will each receive $485,000.

Small-screen scoop

The largest single amount, $700,000, has been awarded to TV pic "17. Juni – Der grosse Aufstand" by Peter Keglevic, a drama about the uprising of East Berlin on June 17, 1953. Film has received support from subsidiaries of pubcaster ARD and will be produced by Teamworx, which previously did the Berlin Wall event movie "The Tunnel."

Sums of around $500,000 have been granted to children's film "Amundsen der Pinguin" and "Jazzclub," the third feature from German comedian Helge Schneider.