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MARKET France / Venice 2018 / Toronto 2018

Young French talent spearheads mk2 Films’ festival line-up

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- Amanda and Pearl at Venice and Jessica Forever at Toronto will be sold alongside numerous works by seasoned masters and the latest films by Sciamma and Porumboiu

Young French talent spearheads mk2 Films’ festival line-up
Jessica Forever by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel

"We want to remain faithful to important auteurs while also unearthing new talent." This editorial line, summarised by Juliette Schrameck before Cannes (read the interview here) who manages (supported by Fionnuala Jamison) the international sales team for the French company mk2 Films, is perfectly illustrated by the company’s line-up for the 75th edition of Venice Film Festival (currently taking place until 8 September) and the 43rd edition of Toronto Film Festival (from 6 to 16 September). Among the seven titles selected for the two events are three world premieres by young French filmmakers, which feature in the company’s line-up alongside films by some very renowned directors.

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At Venice, mk2 Films will be selling Amanda [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikhaël Hers
film profile
]
by Mikhaël Hers (starring Vincent Lacoste, Isaure Multrier and Stacy Martin), thethird feature film by the director, previously spotted at Locarno and Rotterdam. A Nord-Ouest production which is due to premiere to an audience today on the Lido in the Orizzonti sectionbefore being released in France on 21 November by Pyramide.

The Venetian line-up also includes Pearl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elsa Amiel
film profile
]
, the first feature film by Elsa Amiel (starring Julia Föry and Peter Mullan), which will be unveiled to an audience on Saturday in the Giornate degli Autori. Headed up by Unité de Production, the film will be distributed in France by Haut et Court. 

It's worth noting that the two titles presented at Venice will benefit from market screenings at Toronto, where mk2 Films also has five other films in selection, including Jessica Forever [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, the first feature film by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel (winner of a Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 2014 Berlinale with Tant qu’il nous reste des fusils à pompe), an Ecce Films production that people are calling particularly daring, to be distributed in France by Le Pacte and due to benefit from coverage thanks to its place in the Platform competition at Toronto.

In Toronto, mk2 Films will also be showcasing the Cannes award-winning film Cold War [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile
]
by the Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski (already sold almost everywhere in the world), which will be screened in the Special Presentations programme, while two other Cannes competitors Ash is Purest White [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by the Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke and Asako I & II [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by the rising Japanese star Ryusuke Hamaguchi will be screened in the Masters and Contemporary World Cinema sections respectively. It should be noted that these three feature films will also be featured in the Pearls programme at the66th edition of San Sebastian Film Festival. Finally, in Toronto, mk2 Films will be focusing on the North American premiere of Maria by Callas [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Tom Wolf, which will beheadlining TIFF Docs.

Good deals are also in sight thanks to two very attractive new titles coming to the line-up whose pre-sales havejust commenced: Portrait of a Lady on Fire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile
]
by the French director Céline Sciamma and The Whistlers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
film profile
]
 by the Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu.

All without forgetting the numerous other films in the line-up, such as Sophia Antipolis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Virgil Vernier
film profile
]
by Virgil Vernier (unveiled at Locarno in the Filmmakers of the Present competition and due to be screened at San Sebastian in the Zabaltegi Tabakalera programme), the Cannes titles At War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile
]
by Stéphane BrizéSorry Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Christophe Honoré
film profile
]
by Christophe Honoré, The Trouble With You [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Salvadori
film profile
]
by Pierre Salvadori and Sir [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Indian director Rohena Gera, and also Port Authority [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Danielle Lessovitz and Varda by Agnès by Agnès Varda. An impressive line-up that promises great sales for mk2 Films this summer.

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(Translated from French)

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