Having turned 50 last year, the French film studio and arthouse cinema chain MK2 is far from a midlife crisis. The family-run company, which was founded by Marin Karmitz in 1974 and is now presided over by Nathanael and Elisha Karmitz, has never been more in the game. MK2 Films, whose international sales division is headed by Irish-born executive Fionnuala Jamison, rolled into Cannes with six films in competition and 12 in total across the Official Selection, likely more than any other sales outfits.
The company, which has always championed female auteurs, has been turning the spotlight on a new generation of daring female directors, from Celine Sciamma to Noemie Merlant, Justine Triet and Mati Diop. And at this year’s Cannes, they have three out of the seven competition films directed by female directors, Hafsia Herzi’s drama “La petite dernière,” Carla Simon’s “Romeria” and Mascha Schilinski’s “Sound of Falling” which has been unanimously praised. The other three buzzed-about Palme d’Or contenders on MK2 Films’ roster are Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Brazil-set “The Secret Agent,” Jafar Panahi’s politically engaged film “A Simple Accident,” and Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value.” Aside from selling movies internationally, MK2 Films is increasingly involved as a co-producer. Among its movies at Cannes, MK2 Films for instance co-produced “Sentimental Value” and “The Secret Agent” through its banner MK Productions.
Under Jamison’s impulse, MK2 Films has also been powering up on the English-language front with multiple high profile announcements during the festival, such as Flora Birnbaum’s debut feature “Self Help” starring Kirsten Dunst, and Michael Cera’s first directorial effort, “Love Is Not the Answer” starring Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”), Steve Coogan (“Philomena”), Fred Hechinger (“Gladiator 2”) and Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”).
The outfit is also backing European auteurs, such as “Minotaur,” the next project by Andrey Zvyagintsev, the Oscar-nominated director of “Loveless” and “Leviathan.”
While it’s leading innovative experiments with alternative programming in French theaters (for instance “Kaizen” which was a big box office hit), MK2 Films is still highly active on the heritage movie front, perpetuating a long tradition that has allowed them to build a library of iconic films from masters, such as Chaplin, Truffaut, Lynch, Chabrol, Kiarostami and Varda, to name a few. As such, MK2 Films is opening Cannes Classics with the restored 4K version of Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” and will re-release it theatrically on June 26 to mark the 100-year anniversary of its initial release in 1925.
MK2 Films has six films in competition this year and a total of 12 across the Official Selection. That’s a major presence!
Nathanael Karmitz: We’ve never had that many since 1986. But beyond the number, we’ve never been this happy with the overall quality of the films we’re presenting in competition, and in the other sections too. These films span continents, genres, and perspectives, together signaling a very strong year for global cinema.
Fionnuala Jamison: And indeed, the fact that three out of the six are by women is another particular source of pride, reflecting not so much a targeted effort but a natural policy to make space for rising talent.
That gender balance wasn’t intentional?
Karmitz: Not in a quota-driven way. We didn’t set out to meet a target —it just happened naturally, based on what we received and how we responded. We’ve never taken a film thinking, “it’s by a woman, and we need more women.” It’s always about the quality.
Jamison: This year, our three women directors reflect different stages of our work: Masha Schilinski is a bold new discovery, Carla Simón continues our long-term collaboration after “Alcarràs,” and Hafsia Herzi, on her third film, shows how we can support filmmakers as they mature and reach greater international visibility.
Are these films more intimate in scope, or has there been there a shift in scale?
Karmitz: First of all, that idea of so-called “intimate films” usually comes from men. And second, we’re seeing real progress this year. Thierry Fremaux and Iris Knobloch shared the numbers: 35% of submitted films were directed by women. That’s far from enough, but it’s a step forward. Every year, there’s growth— in ambition, quality, quantity, and geographic reach.
Jamison: Women’s films used to come mainly from certain regions, and now they’re coming from across the globe. Also, these less-heard voices often bring a fresher perspective. Working with female directors opens up a lot new perspectives — and that really makes a difference now that everyone’s looking for originality.
How do you develop films internally?
Karmitz: We like to say that we don’t intervene—we support. Whether at the script or editing stage, we’re involved throughout the process. Our role goes beyond connecting producers and distributors: we offer both creative and financial support from development through release, and often beyond, into a director’s career.
Jamison: Sometimes we’re very involved in the script, sometimes we give notes, and sometimes we have minimal involvement. Each project is different. What matters is that we tailor our support to each film’s needs, always bringing our team’s market insight to help shape the most universal, wide-reaching version of the film. We’re not making awards bait — we want to help filmmakers reach the widest global audience.
And from a financial standpoint?
Karmitz: We operate as a one-stop shop — meaning we can deploy the full range of services of an international sales agent or a producer. That can range from being a simple sales agent to full financing. And again, it’s not based on what we want, but on what’s best for the projects, depending on their type.
Jamison: Each film is a prototype, so we’re able to provide 100% of the support palette at any stage in a film’s life. This year, for instance, we co-produced the new films by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Joachim Trier, helping to finance both.
You also have a very strong presence across the sidebars, with “Love on Trial” in Cannes Premiere and Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” opening Cannes Classics.
Karmitz: Cannes Premiere has reached maturity. Its purpose is no longer unclear or undefined; the industry recognizes it as a solid platform for experienced directors whose films do well in theaters. That’s a very attractive proposition. Heritage is also incredibly important to us, which is why we’re so excited about the Cannes Classics pre-opening slot. After screening “The Mother and the Whore” and “Napoleon” in recent years, the pre-opener has become the most prestigious showcase for heritage cinema at any festival in the world. That also reflects a broader shift: “The Gold Rush” is suddenly 100 years old. We’re entering the centennial era of film history, celebrating the works that helped shape cinema. So this slot feels like a beautiful and timely innovation — one that’s also maturing.
MK2 has also been expanding its English-language portfolio. How has that evolved?
Jamison: We do have a number of projects in the pipeline, and we’ll add even more in the months to come. This really fits with our natural editorial line, as we’ve always worked with English and American films—whether in theatrical distribution, production, or sales. We wanted to do a bit more, so we made that desire a reality. Still, we need to find the right balance, and we won’t make these titles our sole priority.
Karmitz: Of course, this shift also reflects the current state of American indie cinema: Despite the abundance of talent, so many filmmakers are struggling to work within the U.S. system. A greater openness to the world and to the international market has now become essential to getting these films made. We just want to support these directors.
Do you feel that MK2 has been able to fill a gap and partner with more U.S. indie filmmakers?
Karmitz: The American system is pretty unique, and navigating it requires a different set of skills. Everything from budgets to financing to actors to agents works a bit differently there, so we’ve tried to bridge our two worlds. For a long time, the American system was very self-contained, but now it’s starting to open up to the world and we want be at that intersection, bringing American productions a European perspective. We can learn from each-other’s constraints. At the same time, foreign cinema in the U.S. makes up about 1% of the market. Sure, there are Oscar campaigns and a few exceptions, but the theatrical potential is about on par with France at best. So America is important, but it’s not the center of global cinema. For the rest of the world, the U.S. market has always been pretty closed off.
