Six filmprojects have received backing for script development and co-production from the Thessaloniki based BalkanFund and the Sarajevo co-production Market-Cinelink. The news was announced atlast week's Thessaloniki Film Festival (TIFF).

Fourprojects were granted Euros 10,000 each by the Balkan Fund, a TIFF scriptdevelopment initiative created in 2003.

Theprojects are:

- The Only Love Affair Hemingway Did Not Write About. ProducerAssen Vladimirov, director, screenwriter Svetoslav Ovcharov (Bulgaria).

- Hidden Faces. Producers JurgenSeidler, Handan Ipekci, director, screenwriterIpekci (Turkey).

- Snow. Producer Elma Tataragic, director,screenwriter Aida Begic (Bosnia-Herzegovina)

- The Hedgehog. Producer/directorNikos Grammatikos, screenwriters Nikos Panayotopoulos, Grammatikos (Greece).

TheBalkan Fund's five-member international jury was composed of CannesCinefondation's Georges Goldenstern, Glascow Film Fund's Leonard Crooks,Slovenian Film producers president Dunja Klemenc and Christina Kallas,artistic director of the Balkan Fund which is coordinated by the Athens-baseddirector/producer Lucia Rikaki. Funding is provided by the GreekMinistry of Culture.

Anothertwo film projects received Euros 25,000 each from the Sarajevo Film Festivalco-production market Cinelink.

Theprojects are both from Slovenia and are Tea by director HannaSlak and The Dark Side Of The Earth by director Damjan Kojole.

Fundsfor the awards were provided by the Sarajevo Film Festival, Kodak and theAustrian film lab Synchro.

The jurywas composed of French/German producer Philippe Bober, Iranianproducer based in France Behrooz Hashemian and French/Croatian producerCedomir Kolar.

Cinelinkwas established in 2002 by the Sarajevo Film Festival with the backing of theRotterdam Film Festival's Hubert Bals Fund, targeting co-production venturesfrom Southeastern Europe.

SarajevoFilm Festival's director Mirsad Purivatra and Cinelink's coordinator AmraBaksik-Camo were present to hand out the grants. Their decision to announce theCinelink awards at the Thessaloniki Film Festival marks the start of a closerfuture collaboration between the two film Funds which form part of theCoordination scheme of the European Film Funds.

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