Berlinale Films ‘Je Suis Karl,’ ‘Copilot’ and ‘Cryptozoo’ Lead The Match Factory Slate at EFM (EXCLUSIVE)

The Match Factory is taking a strong slate to the European Film Market, including two world premieres: Anne Zohra Berrached’s “Copilot,” which is in the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section, and Christian Schwochow’s “Je Suis Karl,” which is in Berlinale Special. Also in the festival program is Dash Shaw’s “Cryptozoo,” the critically acclaimed adult animation awarded at Sundance, which is in the Generation lineup.

Berrached, whose “24 Weeks” played in Berlinale Competition in 2016, is back at the festival with “Copilot,” a bold feature set in the mid 90s, an era of optimism, when the conflicts of the old-world order seemed to dissolve, and long-lasting peace seemed achievable. Asli (Canan Kir) meets Saeed (Roger Azar), whose love at first changes her life, before shaking her world to the core.

The producers are Germany’s Razor Film, France’s Haut et Court and Germany’s Zero Films. Neue Visionen will release the film in German cinemas this summer, and Haut et Court has secured a French release.

Schwochow, who previously had success with “Paula,” which attracted more than 342,000 admissions and earned Euros 2.6 million ($3.15 million) in Germany, and acclaimed Netflix miniseries “Bad Banks,” follows those with the powerful and timely “Je Suis Karl,” starring Paula Beer. In the film, Maxi (Luna Wedler), the survivor of a terrorist attack, joins the beguiling student Karl (Jannis Niewöhner) and becomes part of a European youth movement – one that aims for nothing less than seizing power. The film is produced by Germany’s Pandora Film Produktion together with Czech Republic’s Negativ Film Productions. The film is set for a Sept. 16 release in Germany by Pandora Film Verleih.

Following the successful world premiere at Sundance, the NEXT’s section Innovator Award winner “Cryptozoo” makes its European bow at Berlin. Shaw’s hand-animated film is set in a world where mythological creatures must constantly hide to survive. A team of two zookeepers go on a journey to save and reunite all cryptids in a so-called perfect environment, the Cryptozoo.

The cast of eccentric voices includes Lake Bell and Michael Cera. The original film score is composed by John Carroll Kirby. The film is produced by Eletric Chinoland Production in association of Washington Square Films. UTA reps North America, while The Match Factory sells internationally.