Montreal: Fonds d’investissement de la culture et des communications, a risk-capital investor primarily sponsored by Fonds de Solidarite ftq and sodec, has announced new investments of $3.3 million in six Quebec communications companies.

ficc president and ceo Marcel Choquette says the investment helped the six companies leverage more than $6.5 million in investments, with ficc’s share ranging from $125,000 to $650,000.

Recipients include feature film producer In Extremis Images, game publisher Strategy First (Man of War I & II, Disciples: Sacred Lands) artists promoter Show Gigs n.h.v. and interactive animation studio Sarbakan.

Founded by Bruno Jobin and renowned theatre and film director Robert Lepage in 1995, In Extremis and East Side Film Company of Toronto coproduced the Lepage feature Possible Worlds; the new Bernard Bonnello feature Le Pornographie, a minority coproduction with Haut et Court of France; and the David Clermont-Beique documentary Chercheurs de Miracles.

Since its launch in 1997, ficc’s board has authorized 32 investments totaling $13.6 million in 24 Quebec companies. Choquette says the investment has helped those companies leverage a total of $55 million in investments. * Leo Rice-Barker

-www.ficc.qc.ca