The regional German film fund of Baden-Wuerttemberg, currently supporting the FilmFour-majority financed Buffalo Soldiers, is to almost double its annual spend to $10m as it seeks to attract further international productions.

Fund organiser Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg (MFG) has also launched a scheme whereby young producers can access a $1m fund for a slate of film projects. Another new scheme, a digital content programme, aims to support interactive film-related projects with $480,000 each year.

The boost from MFG's current annual spend of $6m follows a working party commissioned in May 1999 by State Minister Christoph Palmer to seek views from film industry representatives. MFG pumped close to $1m into Buffalo, its biggest investment in a single production to date.

Support for exhibitors is also to be boosted, with measures such as raising the budget for cinema innovation loans by $97,000 to $438,000.