Manchester-based producer Storitel Films, the company set upby software tycoon Paul Sherwood, has established a $1m development fund toback new British talent.

"We're looking for exciting projects from people whoare not able to get access to production money through the normal channels.We're looking at talent rather than experience," Sherwood said of the newfund.

In 2000, Sherwood and his partners sold their softwarecompany to Swedish group Teleca for £36m. Sherwood used some of his share ofthe proceeds to launch Storitel in 2003.

The company is currently in post-production on the first ofits feature-film projects, Shut Up And Shoot Me, which comes billed as arowdy comedy about "a suicidal newlywed-come-widower whose wife isaccidentally killed in a freak accident whilst on honeymoon."

The film stars Karel Roden (Blade) and Andy Nyman (DeadBabies) and is written and directed by hotshot ad director, Steen Agro. Itwas largely shot in the Czech Republic.

London-based Moviehouse, acting as a consultant on otherStoritel projects, is handling international sales. Shut Up And Shoot Meis likely to be screened for the first time to buyers at the second London UKFilm Focus in late June.

Other titles Storitel has in development include MattDickinson's mountaineering thriller, Fragile Edge, Colin O'Donnell'sSergio Leone-style thriller, Leona's Revenge, and Andy Walsh's FinishingSchool, a fantasy adventure about a group of teenage girls at a high-classfinishing school.

While working closely with Moviehouse,Sherwood is also developing projects with Robbie Little's new outfit, TheLittle Film Company.

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