Microwave cooks little pix

Film London kicks off new fund

By LEO BARRACLOUGH

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Helmer Stephen Frears chats with Film London's Adrian Wootton at the Microwave bash.

 

LONDON -- Film London, an org dedicated to making the city's film biz sizzle, pressed the start button Jan. 31 on Microwave, a fund for ultra-low budget pics. Scheme will serve up $133,000 apiece to 10 feature projects.

Emphasizing that new technologies have dramatically cut shooting and editing costs, Film London's chief exec Adrian Wootton, said: "We hope to build on the success of ultra low-budget films such as 'Tarnation,' which have demonstrated the potential for commercial moviemaking at this level."

Joining Wootton at the launch, held at the Rex Cinema and Bar in London's West End, were directors Stephen Frears, Gurinder Chadha and Richard Jobson; producers Sandy Lieberson, Jeremy Thomas and Nadine Marsh Edwards; and distrib execs Will Clarke of Optimum Releasing and Michael Kelly of Warner Bros.