German FFA gives $3 mil to kid pix

Murnberger's 'Robbi' gets $850,000

By CHRISTIAN KOEHL

German film funding body FFA allocated $3 million to seven projects in its March session, with the largest single donations given to kids pics.

Berlin-based org slated $850,000 to Wolfgang Murnberger's "Robbi, tobbi, und das fliewatuut," a sci-fi story for kids picking up characters from a successful puppet series of the 1970s.

Another $850,000 went to Stefan Ruzowitzky for his witch tale "Hexe Lilli."

FFA awarded more coin to a project by helmer Peter Schamoni, brother of the late Ulrich Schamoni.

His docu "Botero" on South American artist Fernando Botero continues a series of pics on artists.

The body also supported Peter Sehr's "The Anarchist's Wife," starring Nina Hoss, which previously received coin from various German and French funders; Nana Djordjadze's "The Rainbow Maker," which involves lenser Phedon Papamichael ("Walk the Line"); Caroline Link's "Im winter ein jahr"; and Dennis Gansel's "Die welle" (The Wave).