Protagonist Pictures, the new sales company formed by UK heavyweights Ingenious, Film 4 and Vertigo, has announced the first titles on its sales slate.

The mix of films includes new projects from directors Nicolas Winding Refn, Rupert Wyatt, Alexis Dos Santos, Vito Rocco and Tom Shankland.

Ex-Metrodome and Universal executive Ben Roberts, CEO of Protagonist, is here in Berlin meeting with the industry but Protagonist will launch its first real sales office in Cannes.

The company has appointed a new head of sales, which will be revealed after Berlin. Also, Channel 4's Nada Cirjanic is handling library sales of the Film4 library through Protagonist. By April, the outfit will be fully staffed with five people.

The slate features Tom Shankland's The Day, which Vertigo will start shooting this week. Stephen Campbell Moore, Eva Birthistle and Jeremy Sheffield star in the horror film about families on holiday when their children mysteriously fall ill. Paul Andrew Williams (London To Brighton, The Cottage) wrote the script.

Nicolas Winding Refn's Bronson, about notorious UK criminal Charles Bronson, will start shooting later in February, also for Vertigo.

Vertigo is also producing (with Picture Farm) Ruper Wyatt's The Trail, his follow-up to hot Sundance seller The Escapist. The Trail, written by Wyatt with Daniel Hardy, is a thriller set in New Mexico which will shoot this summer (it is out to cast now).

In post-production is the MySpace community-driven project Faintheart by Vito Rocco, starring Eddie Marsan and Ewen Bremner. Vitto Rocco's romantic comedy set in the world of Viking re-enactments is backed by Film4 Vertigo, MySpace, the UK Film Council's Premiere Fund, Screen WM, Slingshort and Skillset.

Finally, the slate also includes Alexis dos Santos' Glue follow-up Unmade Beds, now in post-production after a UK shoot. Deborah Francois and Fernando Tielve is about two young foreigners looking for family and love in modern London. The Bureau produces with backing from Film 4 and the UKFC's New Cinema Fund.

The company will of course take on select projects from its three partners but will also acquire third-party titles for sales as well.

'We'll work with a range of budgets,' Roberts told ScreenDaily.com.

Though the three partners are seemingly different, Roberts says they 'aren't mutually exclusive. These are three increasingly strong UK partners. Vertigo is energetic and has found a core market, Film 4 brings the pedigree and international reputation, and Ingenious brings the solidity in terms of finance and business. They wouldn't have gotten past the business plan if they didn't have a common sensibility.'

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