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Last Updated: Thursday, 24 July, 2003, 15:25 GMT 16:25 UK
Art house films' lottery boost
Keisha Castle-Hughes and Rawiri Paratene
Whale Rider is one of four films that have won grants
Art house films, including the just-released Whale Rider, are to be given lottery grants to help them appear on more movie screens.

Four films, including the New Zealand coming-of-age drama, have been given money to make more prints.

It is hoped the grants will help them compete with bigger mainstream films like, Hulk and Terminator 3, and attract more viewers.

The money is part of a UK Film Council initiative to show a wider variety of films.

Smaller films often find it difficult to raise the money needed to make extra prints.

The other films given grants are Respiro, Goodbye Lenin and Raising Victor Vargas.

"We are really delighted to finally have a scheme that encourages and aids distributors to give less mainstream films a better chance to compete," said Elizabeth Draper, the head of Whale Rider's distributor Icon.






SEE ALSO:
£1m boost to UK film industry
25 Jun 03 |  Film
Whale Rider a critical hit
18 Jul 03 |  Reviews
Lottery funded films detailed
15 May 03 |  Film


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