Sphere has acquired Montreal-based distributor MK2 | Mile End as part of its recently rebranded Sphere Films division.

MK2 | Mile End president and founder Charles Tremblay will now serve as president of Sphere Films, working with Sphere Films’ sales leads Anick Poirier and Lorne Price, who formerly operated under the company name WaZabi Films.

The distributor’s teams in Montreal and Toronto will all continue with the company under Sphere Films, according to a statement from Tremblay, in addition to “pooling our strengths” with Poirier and Price.

Tremblay founded MK2 | Mile End in 2017 as part of a partnership Paris, France-based prodco and distributor mk2 following his departure as head of Metropole Films in 2016. Since then the company has acquired and distributed several high-profile titles, including Parasite, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2020, as well as international titles Portrait of a Lady on Fire and The Worst Person in the World. Its Canadian titles include Gilles de Maistre’s The Wolf and the Lion, Louise Archambault’s And the Birds Rained Down and Sébastien Pilote’s Maria Chapdelaine.

“Our partnership with mk2 has been very productive and has allowed us to become a prominent player in Canada in five short years,” said Tremblay. “My team and I had set ourselves the objective of becoming the leading Canadian distributor of independent films. Joining the Sphere family will allow us to sustain our growth.”

“We are very happy to have accompanied Charles Tremblay and his team during these five years and salute the remarkable work that has made MK2 | Mile End a major player in Canadian distribution in such a short period of time,” said Nathanaël Karmitz, CEO of mk2. “A new chapter has begun that will allow the company to continue its development and allow Canadian audiences to access quality films in the best conditions. We wish the best and will continue to work closely in the future for the benefit of cinema and filmmakers from around the world.”

Sphere recently rebranded its portfolio of companies into three divisions: Sphere Media – which includes 2020 acquisitions Sienna Films and BGM – Sphere Film and Sphere Animation, including Oasis Animation and 2022 acquisition Sardine Productions.

“We feel fortunate to be welcoming the fantastic MK2 | Mile End team led by Charles Tremblay to our ranks,” said Sphere CEO Bruno Dubé. “We are looking to expand our reach in the distribution of national and international films in Canada. We have found in MK2 | Mile End a solid partner that shares a similar business vision to ours.”

Pictured (L-R): Charles Tremblay and Bruno Dubé