Leading German DVD distributor e-m-s new mediahas set up its own in-house production arm 3L Filmproduktion to serve as aco-producer on German feature film projects.

The new division will be managed by Berlin-basedUlf Israel who previously worked for X-Filme creative pool for three years andthen as an independent producer on such projects as Veit Helmer's Gate ToHeaven.

Speaking to ScreenDaily.com, Israel saidthat 3L Filmproduktion has already identified two projects for co-productionwhich will go into production in late summer/autumn.

They are: actor-director Carsten Strauch'scomedy Open Wounds (Offene Wunden) in co-production with Roman Paul andGerhard Meixner's Razor Film (co-producer of the Berlinale competition filmParadise Now); and Nils Willbrandt's psychological drama The Victim (DasOpfer) with Willbrandt and actor Marc Hosemann's own Berlin-basedproduction outfit Gluecksfilm.

In addition, 3L Filmproduktion boarded PeterThorwarth's comedy Goldene Zeiten which was produced by Westside Filmproduktionin North Rhine-Westphalia last summer.

At the beginning of 2004, e-m-s new mediaestablished its own theatrical distribution arm 3L Filmverleih whose nextrelease will be the Spanish animation film El Cid on April 28.