Four Weddings And A Funeral writer Richard Curtis, Notting Hill producer Duncan Kenworthy and Working Title Films co-chair Tim Bevan are amongst the speakers lined up for the second edition of Inside Pictures, the training scheme set up by former PolyGram Filmed Entertainment chief Michael Kuhn.

The scheme, which has secured £350,000 from the Training Fund at UK support body the Film Council, is now fielding applications for the course. The 14 participants will attend three intensive weeklong sessions in London and Los Angeles between June and November 2003. US studios Universal, Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount, along with the Motion Picture Association of America, are also taking part.

“We’re looking for executives and producers with ambition and a desire to broaden their knowledge of the global film industry and expand their contacts,” said John Woodward, the Film Council’s chief executive officer. “We want to open the door for those participating and help them progress their careers through a clearer understanding of the business.”

Applicants should have a minimum of three years experience in film or an associated creative industry such as television, advertising or music. Last year’s participants included producers, lawyers, marketing and distribution executives, a finance consultant and a film company’s general business manager.

“The immediate benefits for all the Inside Pictures participants are obvious,” said producer Gillian Berrie, who took part last year. “We now have a frame of reference and wide range of senior industry contacts that ensures we can communicate and operate confidently at all levels of the movie industry in both Europe and the US.”