While debate is currently raging in Germany about ways of keeping more private film fund equity at home, fund initiator Alcas has launched a Euros 93.4m fund to produce a raft of international film and TV projects for Hallmark Entertainment.

Private German individuals are being invited to invest a minimum of Euros 25,000 each in the latest Alcas placement entitled "MAT Movies & Television Productions GmbH & Co. Project IV KG" for a wide-ranging portfolio of 14 TV movies, three TV two-parters and an animation feature film in the family entertainment genre.

The animation feature project - $7.4m "26" - The Movie - will be set on the secret island of Dinotopia, which previously spawned a mini-series of the same name for Hallmark which is airing on RTL this week, and centres on the adventures of the young corythosaurus "26" with two human children Mara and Kex.

Meanwhile, Robert Halmi Sr. will join forces with actor Patrick Stewart and Wendy Neuss-Stewart as executive producer on the $9.7m TV two-parter remake of Lion In Winter set in the court of Henry II in the 12th century, while the other TV mini-series projects are a $12.1m adaptation of Larry McMurtry's bestselling novella on Billy The Kid, Anything For Billy and the story of the founding of the American Marine Corps in the $10.9m To The Shores Of Tripoli.

So far, only four of the planned 14 "movies of the week" budgeted between $1.8m and $2.7m, have been confirmed for financing by the fund: the romantic drama Hope Rose; the family dramas 'Til The River Runs Dry and Family Trust; and Hollywood Mom Murder Mysteries, based on the book by Lindsay Maracotta, but the fund will be deciding on the further ten projects after consultations with its adviser Bavaria Film.

At the same time, the latest MAT fund could be used to produce more projects over and above this basis portfolio as the fund has the option to extend its volume up to Euros 250m depending on the demand from investors.

Alcas' previous media funds have raised finance for projects as diverse as Moby Dick, The Snow Queen and Mission: Impossible II, and Hans Christian Andersen.