U.K. Film Council gives push to 'Oz'

Support org adds coin to film's P&A fund

By ARCHIE THOMAS

LONDON — The re-release of Victor Fleming's classic "The Wizard of Oz" has received a timely Christmas boost from the U.K. Film Council's prints and advertising fund, which will see the restored pic go out on more prints than would have been possible otherwise.

The P&A fund gives awards to U.K. distribs with the aim of giving more exposure to specialized, foreign and arthouse releases.

Thanks to the $50,000 award from the fund, British Film Institute will send " Wizard of Oz" out on 40 sites Friday, rather than the 28 originally skedded.

Metrodome Distribution has received a hefty $196,000 (£100,000) from the U.K. Film Council toward the release of French psychological horror "Them," which goes out on Jan. 26.

Other awards were made to Dogwoof Pictures' Balkan war pic "Esma's Secret" and Chilean film "Play," Lionsgate U.K.'s Brit indie comedy "The All Together," Spark Pictures' Brit indie comedy "Popcorn" and Tiger Ventures' special interest pic "In the Name of."

Two films that have benefited from the fund's assistance recently were Guillermo del Toro's magical realist drama "Pan's Labyrinth" and Pedro Almodovar's "Volver." Both foreign-language pics did strong biz at the U.K. box office.