UK regional screen agency Screen East has secured a $4.4m (£2.2m) investment fund for the East of England that will support a minimum of 20 fictional features, documentary, TV and digital media projects.

The Content Investment Fund is backed by the European Regional Development Fund and will be used for production investments.

Screen East's head of production Sheryl Crown said the funding should help stimulate the regional economy and also create films for international markets.' Projects can be from local film-makers or inward investment projects shooting in the region. The range of investment per project will be $40,000 (£20,000) to $600,000 (£300,000).

'We're looking for big stories, small stories, just good stories,' Crown said. 'We want to work with experienced talent and new talent. Our region is very diverse in terms of locations.'

Applications and guidelines will be available on screeneast.co.uk. The programme runs through December 2008 and projects must be shot in targeted economic regeneration areas of the region.

'We're looking for a Full Monty effect in the East of England,' said Screen East CEO Laurie Hayward. 'We want a number of high profile films to come out of this.'

The fund will be launched at a reception tonight at Century Club. Screen East, which covers the English counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk and the unitary areas of Luton, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock, also runs a project development fund, low-budget production funding, locations services, shorts schemes and other initiatives.

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