Vanessa Saal

Source: Marielle Membreno

Vanessa Saal

French sales agent mk2 Films has hired London-based former Protagonist Pictures and Upgrade Productions executive Vanessa Saal to help expand the company’s UK footprint, under the title executive consultant and UK lead. 

Saal most recently served as executive vice president, production and distribution, for Jonathan Kier and Matt Brodlie’s Los Angeles-based Upgrade Productions, working out of London.

She was previously managing director, sales and distribution for the UK’s Protagonist Pictures.

While a formal UK office is not being launched, with Saal’s position understood to be on a consultancy basis, she will utilise her on-the-ground network and industry understanding to strengthen mk2’s UK connections.

The company has forged strong ties with the UK, handling titles including Molly Manning Walker’s Un Certain Regard winner How To Have Sex and Darren Thornton’s BFI London Film Festival premiere, UK-Ireland co-production Four Mothers.

Saal’s remit will include advising on company strategy and scaling-up co-production activity, as well as spearheading the UK presence. She will work alongside CEO Nathanael Karmitz and Ireland-born, Paris-based managing director Fionnuala Jamison, who runs the film divison. 

Saal has been working for mk2 on a consultancy basis since earlier this year, helping build mk2’s Cannes slate, which included Belly Of The Beast directed by UK filmmaker Andrew Haigh and starring Ben Stiller and Colin Farrell; Alpha Gang from US filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner, starring Cate Blanchett; and Late Fame from US director Kent Jones, with a cast of Willem Dafoe, Sandra Hüller and Samy Burch.

Before joining Protagonist in 2014, Saal was senior vice president, international sales at Studiocanal in Paris and a founding executive at Paris-based Kinology, after beginning her career at Focus Features. Across her career, she has worked on titles including Hunt For The Wilderpeople, The Florida Project, The Lobster and Paddington.

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