The Norwegian Film Fund has injected $706,000 into BentHamer's English-language debut Factotum based on the novel by CharlesBukowski, as well as $1.2m into newcomer Ove Raymond Gyldenaas' local youthcomedy Tommy's Inferno.

The reason why Hamer's follow-up to the multiple-awardwinning Kitchen Stories receives less than a feature debut is that Factotumis a Norwegian-US co-production between Hamer's BulBul Films and JimStark's Stark Sales Inc.

The $2.5m film, which as previously announced stars MattDillon and Marisa Tomei, shoots in Minneapolis this June while all postproduction will be done in Norway. Producer Christine Walker will be in chargeof the US shoot. Celluloid Dreams will be handling international sales.

Writer-director Ove Raymond Gyldenaas makes his featuredebut with Tommy's Inferno, which is described as a youth comedy wheresex, faith, rebellion and love are the key elements.

Producers Christian Fredrik Martin and Asle Vatn from thepromising new production outfit Friland describe the film as 'American Piemeets Requiem For A Dream'.