Low budget family entertainment features are the focus of a new film fund being launched by Munich-based financier MBP whose past credits include Istvan Szabo's Taking Sides, Fred Schepisi's Last Orders and Jimmy Murakami's animation feature Christmas Carol.

MBP NY 121 (NY 121 refers to MBP's address in Munich's Nymphenburger Strasse) aims to raise a maximum of Euro 10m from private individuals each putting up at least Euro 250,000 to back projects with budgets not exceeding Euro 1.5m.

The first two projects to be fully financed by NY 121 are Kevin Teeney's Endangered Species and Byron Thompson's Warrior Angel which will be shot at the same time on location in Lithuania from November 8.

According to MBP's Rainer Mockert, these projects will be structured similarly to its production of Zachary Weintraub's Amazons & Gladiators, starring Patrick Bergin, which was produced last year by the MBP KG 1 Film fund and Beyond Films. Veteran producers Fred Weintraub (Enter The Dragon) and Tom Kuhn, who acted as service producers on this film, have been hired to handle the producing of this new slate as well.

Other projects lined up for shooting from early 2002 with backing from NY 121 are The Biggest Horse Of The World, A Man Called Rage, and the recording of a UNICEF charity concert with the Vienna Philharmonia.

International sales will be handled by MBP's regular partner Beyond International.