Paul Anderson's Resident Evil ,the big-screen adaptation of the video game, is the first project to benefit from a $140m revolving credit line granted to Bernd Eichinger's Constantin Film by a bank consortium led by the DG Bank.

The agreement between the consortium, comprising the DG Bank, Bayerische Landesbank Girozentrale, BHF BANK AG and Bankhaus Reuschel & Co and Constantin will run until December 31, 2004 and enable the German mini-major to finance its ambitious plans for expanding its national and international production slate of feature films and TV projects.

According to a DG Bank report on the German media sector, Constantin is intending to increase the theatrical distribution of inhouse or co-produced features to eight titles in 2001 and ten in 2002, while the number of acquired third party titles is expected to reach 17 this year and 20 in 2002.

Meanwhile, national TV production is set to increase from eight productions last year to nine in 2001, and, on the international level, from two productions in 2000 to three this year.

In its report, the DG Bank had also noted that the Munich-based concern already had credit lines in place of $78m for production and £36m for distribution, "both of which are not being made use of at present though".

Shooting on Resident Evil, which is being coproduced with Impact Pictures and stars Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez, began shooting at the Adlershof Studios outside Berlin this week.