mk2 films secures major slate financing deal with IPR.VC to boost production and acquisitions
European sales, production and finance powerhouse, mk2 films, has announced a significant multi-year financing deal with established investment fund manager IPR.VC, marking a pivotal step in the company’s ambitious growth plans. The fund is set to bolster mk2 films, providing significant financial backing for a slate of future projects.
The collaboration will enable mk2 films to build on its recent successes, which include critical and commercial hits such as Justine Triet’s Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall, Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, and Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Cannes 2024 saw the launch of mk2 films’ most ambitious slate to date with Andrew Haigh’s Belly of the Beast starring Ben Stiller and Colin Farrell, and The Zellner Brothers’ Alpha Gang starring Cate Blanchett. Current films in production include Trier’s Sentimental Value, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, and Dylan Southern’s The Thing With Feathers starring Benedict Cumberbatch. With IPR.VC’s financial support, mk2 films is set to deliver a robust slate of projects, further strengthening its status as a leading force in auteur-driven cinema.
IPR.VC, a Helsinki and London-based investment fund manager, has raised over $200 million and backed more than 50 productions across film and television. The new alliance with mk2 films reflects the company’s continued commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in the industry. IPR.VC has established long-term alliances with acclaimed US and European film and television producers such as A24 (Civil War, Love Lies Bleeding, Maxxxine, Causeway), XYZ Films (Blackberry, Skywalkers: A Love Story, The Wasp), and animation studio Gigglebug Entertainment.
The announcement also follows the recent key hire of Vanessa Saal, former managing director of Protagonist Pictures. Saal has joined mk2 films to lead the company’s U.K. presence and strengthen its focus on English-language projects. This move, along with the IPR.VC strategic alliance, underscores mk2 films’ ongoing plans for growth and international expansion.
“We are thrilled to work with IPR.VC and its experienced management team, and to have found the perfect partners to allow us to scale our efforts while maintaining the artistic integrity that defines mk2 films and our commitment to bold, visionary filmmaking” says Nathanael Karmitz, CEO and Fionnuala Jamison, Managing Director of MK2 Films.
”mk2 films is a European studio with an unrivalled heritage driven by a remarkably talented team,” said Andrea Scarso, Partner and Investment Director of IPR.VC. ”This multi-year, multi-project collaboration aligns perfectly with IPR.VC’s strategy of investing in high-quality content with enduring value. Together, we aim to cultivate a truly international portfolio, with a particular emphasis on European stories that have the potential to reach and engage global audiences.”
mk2 films is part of the innovative film group mk2, which, among its many activities, operates cinemas across France and Spain, engages contemporary audiences through mk2.Alt distribution, runs the cinephile haven, Hotel Paradiso in Paris, collaborates with brands through mk2+, and stages events including the Cinema Paradiso festival at the Louvre.
