How much cash do British films get from the Lottery

A.� The Government has set up National Lottery-funded film franchises which amount to around �33 million. Money from the Lottery has gone into making a number of high-profile films in 2001, but there is some concern over the amount of cash they have made at the box office.

The clear winner has been Bridget Jones's Diary, which�grossed over �41 million gross. It was also backed by an American studio through its British partner, Working Title.

Another movie that surprised the critics was The Hole, a mini-melodrama about children trapped in an old wartime bunker. This�was made by the Path-film franchise for �4 million, �1.5 million of which was Lottery money. It took over �2 million, thanks partly to the appearance of Hollywood starlet Thora Birch from American Beauty (pictured on our home page).

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Q.� Which other films will I have heard of

A.� Unfortunately several films, also backed by Hollywood studios or independent companies, suffered a last-minute pull-out by investors. Among the casualties were John Boorman's Arthurian romance Knight's Castle; Boswell for the Defence, an 18th century period drama starring Michael Caine; The Snow Goose, based on Paul Gallico's mythic tale, with Antonio Banderas; historical dramas about Byron and the Brontes; and Young Adam, an erotic film noir intended to be Ewan McGregor's return ticket to Scotland. All the films hopes to re-finance themselves, but the film industry is still reeling in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on America on September 11.

Only around six out of the 23 funded films have made in excess of �1 million gross. And out of this box office, some 30 to 40 per cent goes to the distributors, leaving even less for the makers.

The second most successful Lottery-back�project, Captain Corelli's Mandolin,�trailed Bridget Jones by some way�- making a "mere " �9.3 million so far.

The Claim, Michael Winterbottom's "Western", cost �12.5 million (�2 million of it Lottery money from the �33 million franchise), yet it took barely �200,000 in the UK, and has been disappointing in the US.

The Parole Officer is only the second movie that DNA, the company granted a six-year access to a �29 million National Lottery franchise, has made in the last three years. it has topped the �3 million mark, thanks largely to the popularity of its star, Steve Coogan.

DNA's first film, a black comedy Beautiful Creatures, cost � 4 million - �2 million of it Lottery money - yet made just �200,000 gross.

Bottom of the list is a film called Dead Babies, utterly panned by reviewers, which has made only �3,274.

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Q.� What about BBC-funded movies this year

A.� BBC Films invested licence-payers' money in several movies, but without spectacular results. When Brendan Met Trudy, a BBC Films co-production with its steady partner, the Irish Film Board, made �779, 286: but at least three-quarters of this�was Irish gross revenues. The BBC says it's cheaper to make partnership films than produce blockbuster TV, and intends to make several more.

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by Katharine MacColl