Arthouse success Russian Ark is to receive a three-month digital outing in the UK.

Bristol based independent exhibitor Watershed Media Centre will keep the Artificial Eye title for three months on digibeta tape following its strong two-week run on 35mm. The single-shot Russian film will screen every weekend next month, projected on the media centre's Digital Projection Highlite 5000gv projector with Texas Instruments chip.

Russian Ark increased from eight to 13 screens this week, taking $269,800 over its three-weeks on release.

"Russian Ark is an example of a film which deserves a wider audience but normal 35mm release patterns are not necessarily the way to achieve them," said Mark Cosgrove, head of exhibition at Watershed.

"Digital technology allows the possibility of extending the film's run and gives me the flexibility to schedule in more creative ways whilst allowing for word of mouth to grow."

The Film Council, the UK body which administers lottery funding for film, is working on plans to invest close to $22.1m (£14m) over the next three years in a circuit of digital screens. The screens, co-financed with exhibitors, would be ring-fenced for specialist films at certain times.