Sequels of Dennis Gansel's 2001 teen-comedy hit Girls On Top (Maedchen Maedchen) and 2002's most successful German film Bibi Blocksberg are among nine projects awarded Euros 6.6m by Bavaria's regional fund, FFF Bayern.

Maedchen Maeedchen II, which will reunite screenwriter Maggie Peren and producer Olga Film's Viola Jaeger with lead actresses Diana Amft and Karoline Herfurth, will be directed by Peter Gersina.

Meanwhile, Bavaria Film's new adventures of Bibi Blocksberg will feature the cast of the first outing - Sidonie von Krosigk, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Noethen, Monica Bleibtreu - under the direction of Franziska Buch, who worked with producer Uschi Reich on Emil Und Die Detektive three years ago.

Among the other projects awarded production support are Oliver Hirschbiegel's prestige project Der Untergang about the last days of Adolf Hitler for Bernd Eichinger's Constantin Film; Oskar Roehler's family drama Agnes Und Seine Brueder, starring Herbert Knaup and Moritz Bleibtreu, for X Filme Creative Pool ; and Lars Buechel's Senator Film-produced drama-comedy Erbsen Auf Halb Sechs, with Fritzi Haberlandt and Hilmir Snaer Gudnason.

In addition, the Bavarian Bank Fund (BBF) provided an additional Euros 600,000 backing for Der Untergang and Maedchen Maedchen II.

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