Posted: Fri., Jan. 23, 2009, 2:39pm PT

U.K. races to find next 'Slumdog'

Mid-budet hit inspires production companies

By Ali Jaafar

The race is on for U.K. film execs to find the next "Slumdog Millionaire."

With the motto of "if you can't beat them, join them" ringing in their ears, a clutch of ambitious Brit film companies are coming together to launch a new development and training program designed to find the next mid-budget, breakout hit.

Film shingle Slingshot, Studio Canal-owned distrib Optimum Releasing, sales co. the Salt Company and film financier Ingenious Media have joined forces to launch "Second Picture Syndrome."

The program, run in partnership with training org. Skillset, will dedicate itself to developing and packaging commercially appealing features with a budget in the range of $10-25 million.

The group are also talking to Paramount Pictures about lending the scheme some studio support once it's up and running.

The new initiative will select 10 British writers and directors who have already made at least one feature and pair them with U.S.-based filmmakers who are already working on internationally successful projects.

"We wanted to create a platform for those British filmmakers who have proven their talent in the low budget world and now want to work in the commercial mainstream," says Slingshot chief exec Arvind Ethan David. "Too often it seem to us, British filmmakers with real ambition, with big stories to tell somehow fail to find a home in the U.K. and end up decamping instead to Hollywood."

The scheme will also seek to tap into the U.K.'s creative industries, such as its vibrant graphic novel scene, which have largely gone unharnessed by the Brit film biz.

"Any number of British writers have worked for Marvel or DV but no one is approaching them," adds David.

The scheme's first development slate of 10 projects should be ready to announce in time for the Cannes film fest.

It also marks the latest attempt by U.K. and Euro films execs to re-build the international development, production and distribution network forged by Polygram in the 1980s and early 1990s before it was acquired and shuttered by Seagram.