New features by Amos Kollek, Max Faerberboeck, Lone Scherfig and Peter Lichtefeld are among the projects granted over Euros 9m backing by Filmstiftung NRW in its latest round of funding.

The highest sum - Euros 1.022m - was awarded to Bosko Biati Film's Spanish-German co-production of Lichtefeld's Playa Del Futuro, which will shoot in Spain and North Rhine-Westphalia and star Peter Lohmeyer, Nina Petri, Outi Maenpaa and Hilmi Soezer, while Euros 1m went to Max Faerberboeck's omnibus film September focussing on how the events of September 11 also changed life in Germany.

Moreover, production funding was paid out to Pandora Film, the producer of Amos Kollek's Nowhere To Go But Up, which will star Amelie's lead actress Audrey Tautou; Deutsche Columbia Pictures for Florian Gaertner's teen film Voll Daneben the family animation film Lauras Stern by the team of The Little Polar Bear; and Benjamin Quabeck's Verschwende Deine Jugend.

In addition, Italian For Beginners director Lone Scherfig received over Euros 227,000 support to carry out the postproduction work on her latest feature Willbur Wants To Kill Himself at facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia.