New feature films by Stefan Ruzowitzky, Caroline Link and Dennis Gansel are among seven projects with a total of $3.2 million (Euros 2.4m) production support by the Berlin-based German Federal Film Board (FFA).

Two family entertainment films directed by Austrian film-makers each received $867,000 (Euros 650,000): Stefan Ruzowitzky's Lilly The Witch (Hexe Lilli) and Wolfgang Murnberger's Robbi, Tobbi Und Das Fliewatuut.

The $12 million (Euros 9m) Lilly The Witch is based on the popular children's books by Knister and is being produced by Munich-based Blue Eyes Fiction with the animation studio Trixter Film, Austria's DOR-Film, Italy's Classic SRL and Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures at the Babelsberg Studios from May.

Meanwhile, Andreas Eicher's box! Film has brought Murnberger onboard for a big-screen live-action version of Boy Lornsen's 1967 children's fantasy classic Robbi, Tobbi Und Das Fliewatuut. The book was previously adapted by public broadcaster WDR in 1972 for a four-part puppet animation miniseries directed by Die Sendung Mit Der Maus creator Armin Maiwald.

In addition, $467,000 (Euros 350,000) has been awarded both to Oscar-winner Caroline Link's next project, Im Winter Ein Jahr, based on Scott Campell's novel Aftermath, and to Napola director Dennis Gansel's Die Welle, to be produced by Constantin Film subsidiary Rat Pack Filmproduktion this spring.