Austria's Land of Styria and the city of Graz havejoined forces to provide an annual Euros 1.5m for the creation of the CineStyria Film Commission & Film Fund.

Introducing the new regional body at this week's Diagonalefilm festival in Graz, managing director Enrico Jakob explained that CineStyria intends to be 'a regional, national and international interface fornetworking, promotion, information, service, support and funding of film, TVand multimedia projects with a connection to Styria.'

The funds for Cine Styria have come from the arts, tourismand economy departments of the Land and the city of Graz. It will focus onsupport for production and distribution with the goal of 'promoting andstrengthening the Austrian film and TV industry and the attractiveness of Grazand Styria as a location and region for national and international film and TVprojects at home and abroad.'