The Hamburg Film Fund has awarded$3.1m (Euros 2.5m) in production support to seven projects including newfeature films by Fatih Akin, Peter Timm, Detlev Buck and Nicolette Krebitz.

Akin's production company Corazon International receivedthe largest amount - $616,074 (Euros 500,000) - for his next feature Auf Der Anderen Seite Des Lebens, while Hamburg-based Relevant Film picked up $554,377(Euros 450,000) for the sequel to Peter Timm's racingpig comedy Rennschwein Rudi Ruessel.

Meanwhile, the fundingcommittee, whose members include Hamburg Film Fund's managing director EvaHubert, editor Andrew Bird and Holland Film's Claudia Landsberger,awarded $492,780 (Euros 400,000) to Nicolette Krebitz's family drama Das Herz Ist Ein Dunkler Wald,starring Nina Hoss, FranziskaPetri, Marc Hosemann and DevidStriesow.

That project is being producedby Tom Tykwer for the Berlin production house X-Filmecreative pool. Shooting began at locations in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein on Monday (April 3) andcontinues through May 14.

In addition, $369,525 (Euros300,000) production support was allocated to DetlevBuck's planned adaptation of Cornelia Funke's best-sellingchldren's book Haende Weg Von Mississippi.

The family film iscompletely new territory for Buck after his social drama Tough Enough (Knallhart) which premieredin the 2006 Berlinale's Panorama section. It willmark the third Funke cinema adaptation after RichardClaus' The Thief Lord and Vivian Naefe's recent hit WildChicks.

The funding round also gavesupport to Animation X's first animation feature project The Three Robbers, Volker Einrauch'sfamily tragedy Der Junge, and toanimated TV series Die Olchis.