Studio Hamburg Produktion (SHP) has launched an English-language division Studio Hamburg International Production (SHIP) to focus on internationally marketable productions as part of the reorganisation of SHP's production activities by CEO Sytze van der Laan.

Operating from Hamburg and Los Angeles, SHIP's head of production will be former independent producer Stuart Pollok, who most recently produced the European co-production One Of The Hollywood Ten starring Jeff Goldblum, Greta Scacchi and Angela Molina.

Pollok will be using Cannes this year to look for partners throughout Europe with a particular focus on the UK.

Budgets for SHIP's projects will usually be around Euros 5m, but occasionally go up to Euros 15m. "We aim to encourage co-productions with Germany, but not to the exclusion of pursuing the right project we believe in," van der Laan explained.

"We feel the timing is right for us to expand the Studio Hamburg brand beyond Germany. While we see signs of recovery inside Germany, broadening our base of activities into the international arena and building a rights library is essential for our future continued success," he said.

As Pollok explained, SHIP and the tax-driven fund (WWP - see related story) "are two very different instruments. While the fund executive produces and is driven by technical and legal requirements, we are more into development and production although we will also be involved in executive producing on some projects."

SHIP will tap the German regional public funds for production finance as part of a public-private mix, but Pollok stressed that the new outfit wants "to encourage cooperation, rather than competition, domestically within Germany so that a critical mass of financing can be brought to the table to increase the attractiveness of shooting in Germany."

"We are aware that we are up against places like the Isle of Man and Luxembourg," van der Laan noted, "but we know that we can often match their financing and also offer better infrastructure and experienced crews in Hamburg or Berlin."

The fact that the Studio Hamburg Group operates 21 sound stages at locations in Hamburg and Berlin - Resident Evil, The Cat's Meow and Good Bye, Lenin! were all shot on stages at Studio Berlin - could also be an added advantage, but Pollok stressed that SHIP "is project-driven rather than oriented to what facilities are available."

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