New film projects by Margarethe von Trotta, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Volker Schloendorff, and Rolf Schuebel have received backing in the latest round of funding by Hamburg's regional public film fund FilmFoerderung Hamburg.

A total of $1.2m (DM2.6m) production support was given to von Trotta's Rosenstrasse project, which will begin shooting next spring with Katja Riemann and Maria Schrader in the leads and to Fridriksson's international co-production Falcons. Von Trotta's Rosenstrasse also got $277,000 (DM600,000) today (Oct 17) from the German Federal Film Board (FFA), in addition to the $1.08m (DM2.3m) already awarded it by the Bavarian public funder FilmFernsehFonds Bayern (FFF) (Screendaily Oct 2, 2001)

In addition, $185,000 (DM400,000) was granted to Berlin-based Road Movies for the feature-length documentary Atlantic Affairs - 20 Suitcases, to be directed by Volker Schloendorff and featuring German "rock dinosaur" Udo Lindenberg and other musicians singing their interpretations of songs by famous German emigres -from Marlene Dietrich and Lotte Lenja through Kurt Weill and Bert Brecht to Kurt Tucholsky and Friedrich Hollaender - who found refuge in America from the Nazis.

Backing has also been given for the development of Rolf Schuebel's adaptation of Charlotte Kerner's novel Blueprint - which has Run Lola Run's Franka Potente lined up to star - and Hermine Huntgeburth's drama Weiss (White) for MMM Filmproduktion.

Topics