Asthe AFM draws to a close, Berlin's European Film Market (EFM) has announced arecord 240 companies signed up to take part in the event (Feb 9-19).

Coincidingwith the 56th Berlin International Film Festival, the EFM hasalready attracted delegates from 45 countries in the year it moves to its newlocation in the Martin-Gropius-Bau.

USheavyweights Focus Features, Lakeshore Entertainment and The Weinstein Companywill take a stand at the EFM for the first time, alongside EFM debutantes fromAsia such as iHQ, MK Pictures, The Core Studio and Nippon TV. Companies such asCineclick Asia and Shochiku will move out from umbrella stands to take theirown venues, as will London's HanWay Films and Gaumont and TF1 from France.

The Martin-Gropius-Bau represents a doubling of thespace that was available to exhibitors at this year's EFM, and will be reachedvia a shuttle service to Potstamer Platz, the centre of the film festival. Italso boasts a 200-seater cinema on top of the regular screening rooms at theCinemaxX and Cinestar.

This year's EFM will screen around 30 percent of theBerlin Film Festival's programme across all sections (Competition, Panorama,Kinderfilm, etc) for delegates.

"Due to a new positioning on the calendar of internationalevents, we have been able to develop and further strengthen our role in theglobal film industry," said EFM Director Beki Probst. "With a newlocation in the Martin-Gropius-Bau, optimized infrastructure and newpartnerships, our goal is to create an environment which will satisfy both oldand new EFM participants."