Alliance Communications has $90 million worth of motion picture production on its fiscal ’99 slate.

Among the roughly 12 films to be produced by Alliance this year is the European location shoot Sunshine, written and directed by Oscar-winner Istvan Szabo, starring Ralph Fiennes and Molly Parker, and scheduled to start mid-July.

Alliance will coproduce 15 Moments from writer/director Denys Arcand (Jesus of Montreal) with Montreal’s Cinemaginaire this fall in Montreal and various worldwide locations.

Gerry Cicoritti will direct the Thump production The Life Before This, written by Semi Chellas and produced by Ilana Frank, this fall in Toronto.

The first of what is expected to be three films this year from London’s Company Pictures, in which Alliance is a one-third shareholder, is A Room For Romeo Brass from writer/director Shane Meadows (Twenty-four-seven).

Alliance handles worldwide sales and releases in Canada and the u.k. for all of the projects.

u.s. subsidiary Le Monde will begin production on three action-thriller projects this fall, with Le Monde handling worldwide sales and Alliance distributing in Canada and the u.k.

Alliance unveiled its current slate at Cannes, where it also announced an exclusive deal with veteran Quebec producer Roger Frappier and confirmed the Canadian Artisan/Live output deal.

Alliance is reported to be among the companies leading the race to buy u.k. independent theatrical and video distributor First Independent from United News & Media. Alliance officials could not be reached for comment on the deal.

Meanwhile, Alliance posted strong year-end 1998 financial results with operating earnings of $20.8 million, up from $13.2 million last year, an increase of 58%. Consolidated revenues for the year ended March 31 were $385.2 million compared to $282.6 million in the same period last year.

Excluding the contributions of Alliance Equicap’s tax-shelter syndication business, which was recently discontinued, earnings per share increased 83% to $1.28 in fiscal ’98 from $0.70 in fiscal ’97. Gross profit for the year rose to $81.7 million from $68.8 million a year earlier, while gross margin declined to 21.2% from 24.3% last year, which the company blames on the decrease in contribution from Equicap.

Alliance’s Television Group revenues rose 66% to $183 million and the Motion Picture Group revenues increased 29.2% to $146.4 million, due in part to the strong international performance of The Sweet Hereafter. Alliance Broadcasting revenues increased 15.6% to $23.0 million in fiscal ’98 from $19.9 million the prior year, while revenue at Alliance Equicap declined to $17.3 million, down 30.7% from $25 million in fiscal ’97.