Director Olivier Dahan will begin shooting the Edith Piafproject La Momeon January 16 at Prague Studios in the Czech Republic.

The film, produced by OKKO Production and Songbird Pictures Limitedand Legende Entreprises,will star Marion Cotillardas Piaf. Cotillard won a Cesar award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in A Very Long Engagement. She also starsin the thriller Fair Play, which shotat Barrandov Studios earlier this year.

Timothy Burrill wil co-produce for Songbird Pictures Limited in the UK with Marc Jenny co-producing for OKKO Production in Prague. Marc Jenny said the film would shoot at Prague Studios andat various locations in the Czech Republic and France. He could notconfirm budget details, but said the project was a Czech-French co-productionbut without state or EU support. "It's like an indie,"Jenny told Screendaily.com.

"We're very honoured andvery happy to host this project," said Prague Studios generalmanager Tomas Krejci, adding that La Môme was'perfect' for his studios, which compete for projects with BarrandovStudios across town. Dahan's shoot will occupy allthree of Prague Studios' stages, including the 3,000-square-metre Stage 1.

International sales will be handled by French broadcaster TF1, Jennysaid.

Dahan was nominated for a Golden Seashell for La Vie Promise in 2002. More recently hedirected Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse.

OKKO Production, founded in 1998, has taken part in numerous Frenchco-productions in the Czech Republic, including last year's Fair Play, D'Artagnan et les trois mousquetaires,and Luc Besson's TheMessenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.

Legende Entreprisestitles include Crimson Rivers, Martin Scorcese's Casinoand Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise