TheBerlin-Brandenburg Medienboard announced an increase in regional film fundingfor 2004 at Mipcom on Monday.

Petra Muller,managing director of the agency, said that Berlin would add another Euros 3mtowards film and TV productions in the area.

It was noted thatwhile film funding at other German media locations is under threat, theBerlin-Brandenburg region will now benefit from a total Euros 18.5m for theyear.

Muller added thatfurther funding is to come from states and investment banks in the region. TheMedienboard has been the location agency for the states of Berlin andBrandenburg since the beginning of 2004. Its major focus is in locationdevelopment, marketing and film funding.

Meanwhile,"intensive talks" by the Medienboard with Berlin's SenateChancellery, Brandenburg's Ministry of Economics and the two federal states'investment banks have also resulted in the state of Brandenburg agreeing to"a comparable commitment for the promotion of the film and mediaindustry" through "alternative financing models" and the"simplifying of the [state-backed] guarantee procedure."