Becker Film Internationalhas taken world sales rights on Feed, a psychological thriller thatBrett Leonard is now shooting in Australia.

Runaway US films play a keyrole supporting service companies and building skills in host countries but Feedis a rare example of how runaway production has directly helped a localfeature.

Producer Melissa Beaufordmet Leonard while executing the legal contracts on the US film Man-Thing,which shot in Australia. Feed actors Patrick Thompson and Alex O'Loughlin wereworking on Man-Thing when they came up with the idea for Feed,and Jack Thompson, who was also on Man-Thing, is executive producer of Feed.

"If Super Size Me wasa psychological thriller, this film would be it," says Beauford, who raised themoney privately for Feed, her second feature since throwing in hercareer as a lawyer last year. Becker also signed up for her first film, thenot-yet-finished Puppy, which Feed writer Kieran Galvin wrote anddirected.

Another privately financedfilm currently being driven by a lawyer-turned-producer is The Bet,starring Matthew Newton and Aden Young. The urban drama is about a young Sydneystockbroker who risks all to win a bet and it is being produced by CarolineGerard, who persuaded Mark Lee to make it his directorial debut. Lee starred inthe iconic Australian film Gallipoli alongside Mel Gibson back in 1981.

The other two new filmsfinanced without government assistance and new to the Australian listings are TheLast Stand, from producer Matthew Graham and writer/director Shane Abbess,and Lost And Found from experienced short filmmaker David Blake, who isalso producing with Kate Carmichael. The strong cast in the latter includesBrett Climo and Rebecca Gibney, who are well-known for their primetimetelevision series, and Nicholas Hope in what is believed to be his firstindependent Australian film since Bad Boy Bubby.

Tom Long, Greta Scacchi andColin Friels have joined The Book Of Revelation since the listings werelast updated. Among the films that have been added are Power Surge, Long WayTo Freo, Like Minds, which is already in post and stars Toni Collette andRichard Roxburgh, Candy, which stars Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush andAbbie Cornish, and Eucalypus, featuring Russell Crowe both behind and infront of the camera. There is also Elephant Tales, but don't expect bignames to appear on that poster because the stars of that show will be two babyelephants, a baby giraffe, a baby chimp and a lion club.

Other Runaway films, Charlotte'sWeb and Superman appear in the listings alongside Ghost Rider.Perhaps Gary Winick and Bryan Singer might be directing an Australian film thistime next year.

For full Australia/New Zealand listings, click here