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BERLINALE 2018 Market / France

MK2 showcasing Infinite Football and Ramen Shop at Berlin

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- Also on the line-up are Corneliu Porumboiu’s documentary and Eric Khoo’s fiction feature, plus the upcoming films by Pawel Pawlikowski, Jia Zhangke and Stéphane Brizé

MK2 showcasing Infinite Football and Ramen Shop at Berlin
Infinite Football by Corneliu Porumboiu

With two films on show in different sections of the 68th Berlin Film Festival (15-25 February), a market premiere and a plethora of tantalising titles in post-production, the international sales team (managed by Juliette Schrameck and headed up by head of sales Fionnuala Jamison) of French group MK2 Films will not be lacking in top-quality ammo at the European Film Market, which kicks off this coming Thursday.

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In particular, MK2 is selling Infinite Football [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Corneliu Porumboiu, which will have its world premiere on Friday 16 February in the Forum. This is the second feature-length documentary (following The Second Game [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 in 2014, which was presented in the same section of Berlin) by the exciting Romanian filmmaker, whose fictional works include 12:08 East of Bucharest [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
interview: Daniel Burlac
film profile
]
 (Caméra d’Or at Cannes in 2006), two other films unveiled on the Croisette (both in Un Certain Regard, with Police, Adjective [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
film profile
]
 in 2009 and The Treasure [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
interview: Corneliu Porumboiu
film profile
]
 in 2015, which took home the Un Certain Talent Award) and When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 (in competition at Locarno in 2013). Produced by 42 Km FilmInfinite Football hinges on a friend of the director’s as he talks about the world’s most popular sport and, by extension, a whole heap of other things… Incidentally, last spring MK2 also acquired the international distribution rights for Gomera, Porumboiu’s next fiction film, which is about to start principal photography. 

At the EFM, MK2 will also be pinning its hopes on Ramen Shop [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Eric Khoo (a familiar face at the biggest festivals), which will world-premiere in the Culinary Cinema programme. A production between Singapore, Japan and France (Zhao Wei Films, Wild Orange Artists, Version Originale and Comme des Cinémas), the film depicts a chef working in Japan and embarking on a journey to Singapore – a voyage that will uncover an array of family secrets and delicious recipes. 

Also of note is the market premiere of the French title Speak Up [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
 by Amandine Gay. This documentary about women descended from Europe’s colonisation activities in Africa and the West Indies revolves around the experience of being different as a black woman, and the clichés that go with it.

As for pre-sales, MK2 will undoubtedly be rushed off its feet at the EFM with several films in post-production that are in with a very good chance of taking part in Cannes, including the two co-productions Ash is Purest White [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by China’s Jia Zhangke and Cold War by Poland’s Pawel Pawlikovski (see the article – sales shared with Protagonist Pictures), in addition to At War [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Stéphane Brizé
film profile
]
 by Stéphane Brizé (toplined by Vincent Lindon), not to mention promo-reels of Sorry Angel [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Christophe Honoré
film profile
]
 by Christophe HonoréAmanda [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikhaël Hers
film profile
]
 by Mikhaël HersThe Trouble With You [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pierre Salvadori
film profile
]
 by Pierre Salvadori and P.E.A.R.L. [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Elsa Amiel
film profile
]
 by Elsa Amiel. We should also mention Port Authority [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
 by Danielle Lessovitz (staged by Madeleine Films with US outfit The Film Community), which is in production, and the as-yet untitled upcoming documentary project by Agnès Varda (which she will co-direct with Didier Rouget). The firm will most likely make a number of further announcements imminently.

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(Translated from French)

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