The Irish Film Board has committed $404,785 (Euros 300,000) to Michael Glawogger's new feature, Das Vaterspiel, about a man developing a computer game in which players kill their fathers.

The investment comes as the Irish Film Board (IFB) moves more aggressively into co-production. The idea is that the body will invest in films from other countries on a quid pro quo basis.

Das Vaterspiel's German producer Christine Ruppert of Tatfilm will undertake to co-produce an Irish film in return for the IFB investment.

The IFB is also partnering with French outfit Fidelite on Agnes Merlet's Dorothy Mills, shooting in Ireland and starring Carice Van Houten (Black Book).

IFB is also supporting Boxes by Slovak director Mira Fornayova.

'We are doing films from elsewhere because I feel that is how we can get more Irish films made. We can develop these relationships and alliances based on reciprocity. Unless we do that, we're always going to be stuck doing very few films a year,' said IFB head Simon Perry. 'These relationships are lifeblood for us.'

Other projects the Board is supporting include Fastnet Films' Tonight Is Cancelled, shot in Kosovo, which will be ready later in the summer, and Lance Daly's Kisses (also for Fastnet Films.) Also recently shot in Ireland with IFB support is Rupert Wyatt's The Escapist (sold by Goalpost).

The Irish Film Board invests around $19m a year into features, documentaries, shorts, development and animation.

Following its Palme D'Or winner The Wind That Shakes The Barley last year, there are several IFB-backed films being unveiled in Cannes again this year. They include Lenny Abrahamson's Garage (sold by MK2) in Quinzaine and Kings, How About You and Puffball in the market.

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