The recently-launched production company headed by producers Diana Phillips and Robert Fox - whose combined credits include Smoke, Bad Lieutenant, Iris and The Hours - has secured slate development funding in the latest awards round from UK support body the Film Council.

Titled Fox Phillips, the venture received $226,000 (£160,000), while Company Pictures secured $141,000 (£100,000), Little Bird $212,000 (£150,000) and Tall Stories $141,000 (£100,000). The deals run for up to three years.

As part of the new company's new look, Company Pictures heads Charles Pattinson and George Faber have appointed Robyn Slovo as head of film. Slovo is a script editor turned producer on Lynne Ramsay's Morvern Callar.

Little Bird aims to raise the scale of its movies, targeting specifically horror and comedy genres. Tall Stories plans to continue its focus on specialist films such as Gallivant and Beautiful People.