The Finnish Film Foundation has allocated $2.9m (Eu1.9m) production support for seven new features, including four local films, a co-production with Estonia and two Scandinavia ventures.

Produced by Riina Hyytiä for Dionysos Films, Johanna Vuoksenmaa's One Foot Under (toinen jalka haudasta) is the story of a 35-year-old man told he has only six months to live - until it appears that he has been misdiagnosed. The Eu1.1m ($1.7m) production will shoot between May-September to be domestically released during the spring 2009 by Sandrew Metronome Finland.

Zaida Bergroth's Last Cowboy Standing (Skavabölen pojat) follows a 18-year-old man trying to remember and understand events 10 years back when his family fell apart. Jarkko Hentula will produce the Eu1.8m ($2.8m) movie for Juonifilmi, with Ilmarii Järvenpaa in the lead, shooting between April-July for FS Film to distribute with a local premiere during spring 2009.

Currently shooting as a Finnish-Estonian-German co-production, Hannu Salonen's Kid & Killer is set in Tallinn, where a 16-year-old boy ends up at hospital with a 45-year-old Chechen whom he has saved from a car bomb explosion. The Chechen is on a mission in the Eu1.2m ($1.9m) production for which Jarkko Hentula-Juonifilmi handle the Finnish side, with FS Film catering for the spring 2009 release.

A farce - as is the trademark of Finland's most popular comedy group, the Kummelis - Matti Grönberg's The Subtenant (Kummeli alivuokralainen) focuses on two housemates' efforts to redecorate their apartment. Nordisk Film Distribution will ready the Eu1.3m ($2m) Markus Selin-Solar Films production for a September première.

Bob Swaim is among the scriptwriters for Antti Haikala's Eu4.5m ($6.9m) fully-animated Magic Crystal (Maaginen kristalli), which Sandrew Metronome Finland will launch in November.

'Closer to science fiction than classic Nordic mythology' is how producer Mikael Wahlforss, of Epidem Zot, described the children's film about a magic crystal which makes it possibe for Santa Claus to multiply his efforts to Christmas presents.

The foundation will also chip in for two Nordic co-productions, including Swedish director Jörgen Bergmark's Rational Solution (De rationella) (Sweden, Germany) - a tragicomic drama written by Jens Jonsson, starring Rolf Lassgård, Pernilla August and Stina Ekblad - and Norwegian director Margreth Olin's Angel (Engel) (Norway, Sweden), with Lena Endre and Antti Reini in the leads.

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