Inits third round of funding, the Berlin-based World Cinema Fund (WCF) hasselected four projects for production support and one project to back forGerman theatrical distribution.

Theproduction funding went to

Faro, La Reine Des Eaux, dir: Salif Traore (Mali), German co-producer: Bärbel Mauch Film (funding: $72,400 [Euros 60,000])

Ghoussoun, dirs: Yaron Shani & Scandar Copti (Israel/Palestine), Inosan Productions (Israel) ($78,500 [Euros 65,000])

The Feather Man, dir: Azza El Hassan (Palestine), German co-producer: Ma.ja.de ($30,100 [Euros 25,000])

Songs From The Southern Seas, dir: Marat Saralu (Kyrgyzstan), German co-producer: Rohfilm ($96,500 [Euros 80,000])

Germandistributor Kool Film received $9,000 (Euros 7,500) for therelease of Brazilian filmmaker Jorge Furtado'sfeature The Man Who Copied about four young people who try to escape their drablives by robbing a bank.

Sincebeing launched in October 2004, the WCF has had 367 projects submitted from 52countries in the focus regions of Africa, Latin America, Middle East and Central Asia).

Twenty projectsreceived production or distribution funding, and three of these films -Paradise Now, Saratan, Naousse - have been completed and screenedsuccessfully at international festivals.

The WCF was founded as a joint initiative of the German Federal CulturalFoundation and the Berlinale, with the Goethe Institut participating as a co-operation partner sinceFebruary 2005.