Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC) has pledged fundingon a conditional basis to Jindabyne, arelationship drama with mystery elements by Lantana director Ray Lawrence, and The Book OfRevelation, a follow-up to HeadOn for director Ana Kokkinos.

Content International has world sales rights for The BookOf Revelation, which Kokkinos and AndrewBovell have adapted from Rupert Thomson's UK novel about an outstanding dancerwho disappears without a trace for 12 days, then returns just as mysteriouslybut utterly changed.

It is difficult and confronting material about sex andpower, victims and perpetrators, and the healing nature of love, says producerAl Clark. Palace will distribute locally and Film Victoria and the New SouthWales Film and Television Office are likely to invest.

The films are the first under the FFC's new evaluationmethod. Each will receive a letter of intent equating to investment oncevarious terms and conditions are satisfied, including sales arrangements andadditional investment from other parties.

Jindabyne is alsopart of a signed understanding between the FFC and the April Babcock &Brown Movie Venture covering eight to 12 films in the next four years. AprilFilms and investment bank Babcock & Brown formed this alliance late lastyear.

No sales agent or distributors are attached to Jindabyne: Icon was a casualty of a breakdown in relationsbetween the key creators and their previous partner RGM Films.

The film is based on a Raymond Carver tale about moralresponsibility in which several amateur fishermen find a body but choose not toimmediately report it. It will shoot before year end. Catherine Jarman isproducing the Beatrix Christian script. The executive producers are April Filmschief executive Philippa Bateman and April Entertainment executive chair GarryCharny. The film will be 100% financed privately.

Charny emphasizes that the financial structure, rather thanbeing attractive as a tax product, encourages high net worth investors to takea portfolio approach and provides them with real blue sky should the filmssucceed.

April expects its second film to be Bikini Racer, a teen car genre pic with both action andcoming-of-age elements. Film critic Adrian Martin and Bateman are scriptediting the Helen Bandis script and talks continue with a director and cast.Bateman, Nicki Roller and Vicki Popplewell are producing. It goes to the FFC'sSeptember board meeting and a sequel is already in development.