Buoyed with Paco Plaza’s “Sister Death” riding high in Netflix non-English film global rankings for a second week running, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Madrid-based El Estudio has named seasoned Spanish showrunner Tirso Calero, creator and script co-ordinator on “Servir y Proteger,” “Bandolera” and “L’Alqueria Blanca,” as TV contents director in Spain. He is based out of Madrid. His incorporation coincides with the creation of a TV division at El Estudio, which Calero will head up.
Taking effect from last week, the appointment makes large strategic sense. El Estudio founders and chiefs Enrique López Lavigne and Pablo Cruz are among the top and most cosmopolitan film producers in the Spanish-speaking world, Cruz ranking as Mexico’s best-known arthouse/crossover movie honcho and a driving force behind modern-day Mexican cinema when heading up Canana; and López Lavigne rating as one of Spain’s most innovative producers, seen most recently in...
Taking effect from last week, the appointment makes large strategic sense. El Estudio founders and chiefs Enrique López Lavigne and Pablo Cruz are among the top and most cosmopolitan film producers in the Spanish-speaking world, Cruz ranking as Mexico’s best-known arthouse/crossover movie honcho and a driving force behind modern-day Mexican cinema when heading up Canana; and López Lavigne rating as one of Spain’s most innovative producers, seen most recently in...
- 11/13/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Five years ago, [Rec] franchise co-creator Paco Plaza‘s horror movie Veronica was released through the Netflix streaming service, and Netflix subscribers reportedly found the film to be so terrifying that they would have to stop the movie mid-stream because they couldn’t handle the scariness. With that sort of press, it’s no surprise that Plaza and Netflix have chosen to expand the concept into a franchise with a prequel called Sister Death, or Hermana Muerte. Now the streaming service’s Tudum site has revealed that Sister Death will be released this October! They haven’t revealed the specific release date yet, but it’s nice to know this movie will be a viewing option during Halloween season this year.
The screenplay for Sister Death was written by Jorge Guerricaechevarria, who frequently works with popular genre filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia. The story he crafted has the following synopsis: In post-war Spain,...
The screenplay for Sister Death was written by Jorge Guerricaechevarria, who frequently works with popular genre filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia. The story he crafted has the following synopsis: In post-war Spain,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Diego Boneta (Luis Miguel: La Serie), Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: México), and Belinda (Bienvenidos a Edén) are set to lead a new Mexico Amazon Original miniseries inspired by true events surrounding the last day of Paco Stanley’s life.
The as-yet-untitled project will also feature Zuria Vega (El Refugio), El Chá, Bárbara López (El Juego de las Llaves) Roberto Duarte (Un Extraño Enemigo), and Jorge Zárate (La Dictadura Perfecta) in supporting roles.
Details regarding their characters remain under wraps but each actor will play a person that was close to the charismatic television host who was assassinated on June 7, 1999. The miniseries will show how each person lived the events of the tragic day.
“The death of Paco Stanley marks a turning point in the history of our country, and we at Prime Video feel very proud that this talented team of filmmakers has managed to convene a cast that...
The as-yet-untitled project will also feature Zuria Vega (El Refugio), El Chá, Bárbara López (El Juego de las Llaves) Roberto Duarte (Un Extraño Enemigo), and Jorge Zárate (La Dictadura Perfecta) in supporting roles.
Details regarding their characters remain under wraps but each actor will play a person that was close to the charismatic television host who was assassinated on June 7, 1999. The miniseries will show how each person lived the events of the tragic day.
“The death of Paco Stanley marks a turning point in the history of our country, and we at Prime Video feel very proud that this talented team of filmmakers has managed to convene a cast that...
- 1/11/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Taco Chronicles is a Mexican series about the world of tacos. A journey through the best tacos in the world, their flavors and the best places to taste them.
A series created by Pablo Cruz.
In eight episodes we are taken to various cities in the US where you can find some of the best taquerías and restaurants serving tacos.
Many of the most popular taco styles have long, rich, little-known histories. Explore some of them in this eye-opening, mouth-watering food adventure.
Our Opinion
An interesting and engaging series that combines the history of tacos, and the people behind these delights. It is well produced, full of color, and lively in tone, the episodes are relatively short in duration, and the stories are always compelling.
Episode List
Chicago
Las Vegas
New York
San Antonio
Los Angeles
Dallas
Phoenix
San Diego
Season 2 Release Date
November 23rd, 2022
Where to Watch Taco Chronicles...
A series created by Pablo Cruz.
In eight episodes we are taken to various cities in the US where you can find some of the best taquerías and restaurants serving tacos.
Many of the most popular taco styles have long, rich, little-known histories. Explore some of them in this eye-opening, mouth-watering food adventure.
Our Opinion
An interesting and engaging series that combines the history of tacos, and the people behind these delights. It is well produced, full of color, and lively in tone, the episodes are relatively short in duration, and the stories are always compelling.
Episode List
Chicago
Las Vegas
New York
San Antonio
Los Angeles
Dallas
Phoenix
San Diego
Season 2 Release Date
November 23rd, 2022
Where to Watch Taco Chronicles...
- 11/23/2022
- by Elisabeth Plank
- Martin Cid - TV
Paul Presburger, who served as CEO of Hispanic showbiz leader Pantelion Films and Spanish-language streaming service Pantaya, is leaving after serving more than a decade at the helm.
Presburger will be focusing on Globalgate Entertainment, the international production and co-financing company he co-founded six years ago, where he will be working on a slate of new projects, including a number of them for TelevisaUnivision’s new two-tiered streaming service, ViX.
His move comes a month after TelevisaUnivision acquired Pantelion Films and Pantaya from Hemisphere Media Group in a bid to bolster the programming assets of ViX and its premium service counterpart, ViX+.
Presburger is credited for steering Pantelion Films, founded in 2010, to become the first major Latino Hollywood studio and a leader of Hispanic entertainment in the U.S.
Expressing his gratitude to his original partners at Lionsgate, Televisa, and Hemisphere, Presburger said: “I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished,...
Presburger will be focusing on Globalgate Entertainment, the international production and co-financing company he co-founded six years ago, where he will be working on a slate of new projects, including a number of them for TelevisaUnivision’s new two-tiered streaming service, ViX.
His move comes a month after TelevisaUnivision acquired Pantelion Films and Pantaya from Hemisphere Media Group in a bid to bolster the programming assets of ViX and its premium service counterpart, ViX+.
Presburger is credited for steering Pantelion Films, founded in 2010, to become the first major Latino Hollywood studio and a leader of Hispanic entertainment in the U.S.
Expressing his gratitude to his original partners at Lionsgate, Televisa, and Hemisphere, Presburger said: “I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished,...
- 11/5/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Buoyed by the success of last year’s one-to-one networking sessions, Madrid’s 2nd Iberseries & Platino Industria market is launching a new TV forum aimed at fostering co-production and financing pacts between selected producers and potential partners or investors.
“We are functioning as an accelerator in a way as the selected projects have at least 40 of their financing in place and just need that final push to see the light,” said Iberseries director Samuel Castro, who adds that these series have budgets ranging from €5 million-€30 million ( million-30 million) .
The 10 companies, selected out of some 25 submissions, include some heavy hitters led by Spain’s Zebra Prods (Grupo Izen), Gato Grande-MGM, Argentina’s Storylab and El Estudio, founded by former Canana producing partner Pablo Cruz, producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head, Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Projects include animated features, thrillers, romantic comedies and dramas.
Forum coordinator Rodrigo Ros has been playing matchmaker,...
“We are functioning as an accelerator in a way as the selected projects have at least 40 of their financing in place and just need that final push to see the light,” said Iberseries director Samuel Castro, who adds that these series have budgets ranging from €5 million-€30 million ( million-30 million) .
The 10 companies, selected out of some 25 submissions, include some heavy hitters led by Spain’s Zebra Prods (Grupo Izen), Gato Grande-MGM, Argentina’s Storylab and El Estudio, founded by former Canana producing partner Pablo Cruz, producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head, Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Projects include animated features, thrillers, romantic comedies and dramas.
Forum coordinator Rodrigo Ros has been playing matchmaker,...
- 9/28/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Kronish and Jon Cassar, showrunner and director-producer respectively of “24,” the ratings and critical hit which ran on Fox network for nine seasons, have boarded upcoming thriller series “Barcelona.”
The news was jointly announced by transatlantic production company El Estudio, Jeff Berg’s Northside Services, Todd Slater’s Convoke Media (“King of Killers”) and Karen and Howard Baldwin (“Ray”) of Kemb Prods. who have teamed up to produce the ambitious project.
“Barcelona” is one of 10 series being presented at the inaugural Co-Production and Financing Forum at Madrid’s 2nd Iberseries & Platino Industria TV event.
Based on Irish writer David Fennelly’s trilogy of novels, the three-season series set in Barcelona is described as a cross between “Homeland” and “Fauda” and “explores the origins of terrorism in Barcelona.” Fennelly and his manager Larry Levitsky also form part of the pool of producers on the project.
“This is a step forward in our growth strategy.
The news was jointly announced by transatlantic production company El Estudio, Jeff Berg’s Northside Services, Todd Slater’s Convoke Media (“King of Killers”) and Karen and Howard Baldwin (“Ray”) of Kemb Prods. who have teamed up to produce the ambitious project.
“Barcelona” is one of 10 series being presented at the inaugural Co-Production and Financing Forum at Madrid’s 2nd Iberseries & Platino Industria TV event.
Based on Irish writer David Fennelly’s trilogy of novels, the three-season series set in Barcelona is described as a cross between “Homeland” and “Fauda” and “explores the origins of terrorism in Barcelona.” Fennelly and his manager Larry Levitsky also form part of the pool of producers on the project.
“This is a step forward in our growth strategy.
- 9/26/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Karla Souza and Dani Rovira, two of the foremost Hispanic actors with comedic chops, have joined the upcoming musical comedy, “Voy a pasarmelo bien” (“I’m Going to Have a Good Time”), produced by Sony Pictures International Productions (Spip), El Estudio and Spanish pop-rock band, Hombres G.
Mexico City-born Souza has starred in three of Mexico’s top-grossing pics: “Nosotros Los Nobles,” “Instructions Not Included” and “Que Culpa Tiene el Niño.” Her TV credits include ABC comedy series “Home Economics” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”
Spanish actor-comic Rovira made his big screen debut with Spanish blockbuster comedy “Spanish Affair” and has starred in the 2018 Spip romcom “Miamor Perdido,” among others.
The film is inspired by the music of the iconic band Hombres G, which rose to prominence in the ‘80s with their Beatles and British new wave-influenced music. Based in Madrid, Hombres G have published 12 studio albums to...
Mexico City-born Souza has starred in three of Mexico’s top-grossing pics: “Nosotros Los Nobles,” “Instructions Not Included” and “Que Culpa Tiene el Niño.” Her TV credits include ABC comedy series “Home Economics” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”
Spanish actor-comic Rovira made his big screen debut with Spanish blockbuster comedy “Spanish Affair” and has starred in the 2018 Spip romcom “Miamor Perdido,” among others.
The film is inspired by the music of the iconic band Hombres G, which rose to prominence in the ‘80s with their Beatles and British new wave-influenced music. Based in Madrid, Hombres G have published 12 studio albums to...
- 2/28/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures International Prods, El Estudio Set Hombres G Film, ‘Voy a Pasarmelo Bien’ (Exclusive)
Tapping a widely successful genre, Sony Pictures Int’l Productions (Spip) is producing the musical romantic comedy “Voy a pasarmelo bien” (“I’m Going to Have A Good Time”) in association with transatlantic production powerhouse, El Estudio and Spanish pop rock band Hombres G.
The film is inspired by the music of the iconic band which rose to prominence in the ‘80s with their Beatles and British new wave-influenced music.
Based in Madrid, Hombres G is formed by David Summers, Dani Mezquita, Rafa Gutiérrez and Javi Molina who have published 12 studio albums to date and sold more than 20 million records internationally. Among their multiple achievements are an Honorary Grammy Award from the Latin Recording Academy and Spain’s Gold Medal to the Fine Arts.
Spip has also acquired the worldwide distribution rights, with Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia to release the film theatrically in Spain in 2022.
In addition, Spip licensed the film’s U.
The film is inspired by the music of the iconic band which rose to prominence in the ‘80s with their Beatles and British new wave-influenced music.
Based in Madrid, Hombres G is formed by David Summers, Dani Mezquita, Rafa Gutiérrez and Javi Molina who have published 12 studio albums to date and sold more than 20 million records internationally. Among their multiple achievements are an Honorary Grammy Award from the Latin Recording Academy and Spain’s Gold Medal to the Fine Arts.
Spip has also acquired the worldwide distribution rights, with Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia to release the film theatrically in Spain in 2022.
In addition, Spip licensed the film’s U.
- 11/30/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
In a flagship deal for the Spanish-speaking world’s ever more global industry, Gonzalo Maza, co-writer of Sebastián Lelio’s Academy Award-winning “A Fantastic Woman,” has been tapped by production powerhouse El Estudio to adapt “Macario,” a novella written by the legendary B. Traven.
Traven’s 1927 novel, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” was given a big screen makeover by John Huston in the 1948 film of the same name, starring Humphrey Bogart, which won three Academy Awards and is often described as Huston and Bogart’s finest work.
The announcement of the new film project was made by El Estudio on the eve of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. That seems no coincidence when it comes to “Macario,” a title which is a Mexico-set literary classic reflecting the pervasive presence of death in Mexican culture.
Coming after El Estudio has acquired the rights to “Macario” from the Traven estate,...
Traven’s 1927 novel, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” was given a big screen makeover by John Huston in the 1948 film of the same name, starring Humphrey Bogart, which won three Academy Awards and is often described as Huston and Bogart’s finest work.
The announcement of the new film project was made by El Estudio on the eve of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. That seems no coincidence when it comes to “Macario,” a title which is a Mexico-set literary classic reflecting the pervasive presence of death in Mexican culture.
Coming after El Estudio has acquired the rights to “Macario” from the Traven estate,...
- 11/1/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Pantaya, Pantelion Strike First Look Deals with El Estudio, The Lift and Traziende Films (Exclusive)
In a move aimed at further building its roster of original content, LA-based Spanish-language streaming platform Pantaya and Latino Hollywood studio Pantelion have signed multi-year first look deals with Latin American companies El Estudio, The Lift and Traziende Films.
Under the terms of the pact, each company will produce direct-to-platform Spanish-language pics to stream exclusively on Pantaya in the U.S.
Pantelion will serve as the studio on the projects, tapping its long-established relationships with some of the leading producers in Mexico and beyond.
Paul Presburger, CEO of Pantaya and Pantelion said: “In the 10-plus year history of Pantelion, we have had the pleasure to work multiple times with Diego Suarez, Pablo Cruz and their team at El Estudio (“Cesar Chavez”), Avelino Rodriguez and his team at The Lift and the folks at Traziende Films (“Pulling Strings,” “Las Pildoras de Mi Novio”).
“They are all some of the best in...
Under the terms of the pact, each company will produce direct-to-platform Spanish-language pics to stream exclusively on Pantaya in the U.S.
Pantelion will serve as the studio on the projects, tapping its long-established relationships with some of the leading producers in Mexico and beyond.
Paul Presburger, CEO of Pantaya and Pantelion said: “In the 10-plus year history of Pantelion, we have had the pleasure to work multiple times with Diego Suarez, Pablo Cruz and their team at El Estudio (“Cesar Chavez”), Avelino Rodriguez and his team at The Lift and the folks at Traziende Films (“Pulling Strings,” “Las Pildoras de Mi Novio”).
“They are all some of the best in...
- 10/19/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Endeavor Content is in talks to reteam with the filmmakers behind the hit “Blue Miracle,” in the wake of its success on Netflix, where it ranked second on its opening weekend, and is reported to have resonated in the U.S. across all ethnic groups.
Starring a relatively unknown Latino cast, the most high-profile actor in it is Dennis Quaid who plays a washed-up and cantankerous boat captain who reluctantly teams up with a guardian, played by Jimmy Gonzales (“Mayans M.C.”), and some of his charges from a cash-strapped orphanage in order to win a lucrative fishing tournament.
“Judging from the online chatter, it was seen in middle America so it not only appealed to Latino families,” said Alexis Garcia, executive VP, Endeavor Content, Advisory, Film Group, who describes it as an inspirational sports movie.
Endeavor Content’s next film with “Blue Miracle” director Julio Quintana and his partners...
Starring a relatively unknown Latino cast, the most high-profile actor in it is Dennis Quaid who plays a washed-up and cantankerous boat captain who reluctantly teams up with a guardian, played by Jimmy Gonzales (“Mayans M.C.”), and some of his charges from a cash-strapped orphanage in order to win a lucrative fishing tournament.
“Judging from the online chatter, it was seen in middle America so it not only appealed to Latino families,” said Alexis Garcia, executive VP, Endeavor Content, Advisory, Film Group, who describes it as an inspirational sports movie.
Endeavor Content’s next film with “Blue Miracle” director Julio Quintana and his partners...
- 10/8/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Transatlantic production label El Estudio has acquired the rights to author Fernando Gamboa’s hit novel “The Last Crypt,” and will work with powerhouse Spanish showrunner and “The Ministry of Time” creator Javier Olivares to develop the book into a high-end TV series, executive produced by Eulogio Romero (“Mitos y leyendas”).
“The Last Crypt,” the first in a three-book series, kicks off when diver Ulises Vidal discovers a small bronze bell buried in a coral reef near the Honduran island of Utila. With help from medieval history professor Eduardo Castillo, they learn that the bell is a Templar artifact, an impossibility unless all the history books are wrong and the Templars did in fact cross the Atlantic centuries before Columbus set off from the Spanish port of Palos de la Frontera in 1492.
With hopes of finding the fabled Templar’s treasure, the two join forces with Mexican archaeologist Cassandra Brooks...
“The Last Crypt,” the first in a three-book series, kicks off when diver Ulises Vidal discovers a small bronze bell buried in a coral reef near the Honduran island of Utila. With help from medieval history professor Eduardo Castillo, they learn that the bell is a Templar artifact, an impossibility unless all the history books are wrong and the Templars did in fact cross the Atlantic centuries before Columbus set off from the Spanish port of Palos de la Frontera in 1492.
With hopes of finding the fabled Templar’s treasure, the two join forces with Mexican archaeologist Cassandra Brooks...
- 8/31/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
U.S. Spanish-Language streaming platform Pantaya and Spanish-language production powerhouse El Estudio have wrapped shooting on their cringey comedy co-production “Pena Ajena,” based on the Spanish Movistar Plus hit original series “Vergüenza.” The Mexican adaptation co-stars film and TV standouts Adrián Uribe and Mónica Huarte (“Tired of Kissing Frogs”).
Santiago Fábregas (“Taco Chronicles”) and Diego Graue (“El Candidato Rayo”) both co-wrote and co-directed the series’ 10 half-hour episodes, joined in the writers’ room by co-scribes Francisco González Payó (“Saving Private Pérez”) and Dariela Pérez Hernández (“The House of Flowers”).
“Good comedy is hard to find, great comedy is a diamond in the rough. Between a cast featuring Adrián and Mónica as the main couple, a great crew and creative team led by Santi Fábregas, all of them backed by Pablo Cruz and his El Estudio banner, we feel that ‘Pena Ajena’ is a crown jewel of comedy,” said Mario Almeida, Pantaya head of content.
Santiago Fábregas (“Taco Chronicles”) and Diego Graue (“El Candidato Rayo”) both co-wrote and co-directed the series’ 10 half-hour episodes, joined in the writers’ room by co-scribes Francisco González Payó (“Saving Private Pérez”) and Dariela Pérez Hernández (“The House of Flowers”).
“Good comedy is hard to find, great comedy is a diamond in the rough. Between a cast featuring Adrián and Mónica as the main couple, a great crew and creative team led by Santi Fábregas, all of them backed by Pablo Cruz and his El Estudio banner, we feel that ‘Pena Ajena’ is a crown jewel of comedy,” said Mario Almeida, Pantaya head of content.
- 8/5/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of its Season 2 finale, “Luis Miguel: La Serie” is announcing that it will get a third (and final) season on Netflix. The musical biopic series, a production of MGM and Gato Grande Productions, a joint venture between MGM and Mexican entrepreneurs Miguel Alemán Magnani and Antonio Cue, is touted as the only officially authorized series about the fiercely private titular international Latino sensation and multi-platinum artist.
In Season 2, returning lead Diego Boneta stars as the Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning Puerto Rican-born Mexican singer Luis Miguel. The show also features Macarena Achaga as ‘Luismi’s’ daughter Michelle Salas; Fernando Guallar as Mauricio Ambrosi; Pablo Cruz Guerrero as Patricio Robles; Juan Ignacio Cane as José Pérez; Teresa Ruiz as Azucena; Valery Sais as young Michelle and Axel Llunas as her younger brother.
The series intimately explores the difficulties Miguel faced to balance his family and his professional life and public persona,...
In Season 2, returning lead Diego Boneta stars as the Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning Puerto Rican-born Mexican singer Luis Miguel. The show also features Macarena Achaga as ‘Luismi’s’ daughter Michelle Salas; Fernando Guallar as Mauricio Ambrosi; Pablo Cruz Guerrero as Patricio Robles; Juan Ignacio Cane as José Pérez; Teresa Ruiz as Azucena; Valery Sais as young Michelle and Axel Llunas as her younger brother.
The series intimately explores the difficulties Miguel faced to balance his family and his professional life and public persona,...
- 5/31/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has set May 12 for the worldwide premiere of “El Baile de los 41” (“Dance of the 41”), the fact-based drama about the early 20th century scandal that rocked Mexican high society.
Penned by Monika Revilla and directed by David Pablos (“The Chosen Ones”), “El Baile de los 41” focuses on the 1901 scandal of the Ball of the Forty-One where police raided a private home in Mexico City and exposed various prominent society men in drag, including the son-in-law of the president of Mexico. Although the government tried to suppress the story, the local press gave it blanket coverage, marking the first time that homosexuality was openly discussed in the Mexican media and impacting the country’s culture for years to come.
In the trailer, which Netflix bows exclusively in Variety, it opens on an officer informing the president about 42 men caught in a raid. “I only count 41,” the president replies,...
Penned by Monika Revilla and directed by David Pablos (“The Chosen Ones”), “El Baile de los 41” focuses on the 1901 scandal of the Ball of the Forty-One where police raided a private home in Mexico City and exposed various prominent society men in drag, including the son-in-law of the president of Mexico. Although the government tried to suppress the story, the local press gave it blanket coverage, marking the first time that homosexuality was openly discussed in the Mexican media and impacting the country’s culture for years to come.
In the trailer, which Netflix bows exclusively in Variety, it opens on an officer informing the president about 42 men caught in a raid. “I only count 41,” the president replies,...
- 4/14/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix and MGM’s Gato Grande are underway on the second season of popular Spanish-language show Luis Miguel: The Series about the superstar Mexican singer. Filming had been delayed earlier this year due to the pandemic.
Cast joining the series include Macarena Achaga as Michelle, Fernando Guallar as Mauricio Ambrosi, Pablo Cruz Guerrero as Patricio Robles, Juan Ignacio Cane as José Pérez, Teresa Ruiz as Azucena, Valery Sais as young Michelle, and Axel Llunas as young Sergio Basteri.
They join previously announced Diego Boneta, Camila Sodi, Cesar Bordon, Juan Pablo Zurita, Cesar Santana, Martin Bello, Lola Casamayor, Pilar Santacruz, Kevin Holt and Gabriel Nuncio.
The story, told in two different timelines, will explore the difficulties of balancing the singer’s family and professional life. It is due to launch on Netflix next year. We also hear from sources that a third season is in the works but the streamer hasn’t confirmed.
Cast joining the series include Macarena Achaga as Michelle, Fernando Guallar as Mauricio Ambrosi, Pablo Cruz Guerrero as Patricio Robles, Juan Ignacio Cane as José Pérez, Teresa Ruiz as Azucena, Valery Sais as young Michelle, and Axel Llunas as young Sergio Basteri.
They join previously announced Diego Boneta, Camila Sodi, Cesar Bordon, Juan Pablo Zurita, Cesar Santana, Martin Bello, Lola Casamayor, Pilar Santacruz, Kevin Holt and Gabriel Nuncio.
The story, told in two different timelines, will explore the difficulties of balancing the singer’s family and professional life. It is due to launch on Netflix next year. We also hear from sources that a third season is in the works but the streamer hasn’t confirmed.
- 9/29/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Mexico’s film industry appears healthy, but the question is for how long. In 2019, Mexican president Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador decimated festival funding. There’s a fear that, as the economy contracts, so will its tax credits, the main source of film sector finance, says Pimienta’s Nicolas Celis, a producer on “Roma.”
Such fears have seen the country’s top producers re-engineering operations: many, such as Piano, Woo Films, Pablo Cruz at Canana and El Estudio have moved into TV production. Some, such as Panorama, have launched more commercial, Ott platform-friendly slates.
Companies are also aiming to tap more regular international co-financing, such as Pimienta’s first-look deal with Exile and Endeavor Content, while Piano has expanded into Colombia and Germany and El Estudio has launched bases in Los Angeles and Madrid.
Above all, many are looking to produce with top talent inside and outside Mexico. Piano’s slate...
Such fears have seen the country’s top producers re-engineering operations: many, such as Piano, Woo Films, Pablo Cruz at Canana and El Estudio have moved into TV production. Some, such as Panorama, have launched more commercial, Ott platform-friendly slates.
Companies are also aiming to tap more regular international co-financing, such as Pimienta’s first-look deal with Exile and Endeavor Content, while Piano has expanded into Colombia and Germany and El Estudio has launched bases in Los Angeles and Madrid.
Above all, many are looking to produce with top talent inside and outside Mexico. Piano’s slate...
- 5/11/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — Paco Plaza, co-director of [“Rec”] and Netflix hit “Veronica” – is attached to write and direct “Roman Ritual,” inspired by the cult graphic novella from Spain’s El Torres, and created together with producer Enrique López Lavigne.
Envisaged as an event series – and sure to discomfit some and scandalize others, the original comic book being rejected by multiple publishers – “Roman Ritual” turns on a Pope who, like Pope Benedict XVI, is forced to quit – but this time round it’s because he’s possessed by the Devil.
Now in development, “Roman Ritual” is set up at El Estudio, the highly connected independent L.A., Mexico City and Madrid-based production house launched at February’s Berlin Film Festival by Canana head Pablo Cruz, López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Productions head Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Showrun by Plaza and López Lavigne, the series looks set to follow the main thrust of the graphic novel,...
Envisaged as an event series – and sure to discomfit some and scandalize others, the original comic book being rejected by multiple publishers – “Roman Ritual” turns on a Pope who, like Pope Benedict XVI, is forced to quit – but this time round it’s because he’s possessed by the Devil.
Now in development, “Roman Ritual” is set up at El Estudio, the highly connected independent L.A., Mexico City and Madrid-based production house launched at February’s Berlin Film Festival by Canana head Pablo Cruz, López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Productions head Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Showrun by Plaza and López Lavigne, the series looks set to follow the main thrust of the graphic novel,...
- 3/31/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — As the world’s international TV distribution goes virtual, these are a pick of Spanish TV shows – at project stage, in production or completed, and mostly drama series – being brought onto the market, or available for partnering for production or straight acquisition:
24 Land
(Ficción Producciones, Ukbar Filmes)
A Spain-Portugal co-production from Pablo Iraola and Pandora Da Cunha, this WWII mystery drama follows a high-society woman willing to do anything to save her homeland from a foreign invasion. Selected to participate at Canneseries’ in development sidebar, the series will launch April 8 in Portugal.
Back Home
(CTV, SPi, Rtp)
A co-production between Galicia’s CTV and Portuguese broadcaster Rtp, this dramedy kicks off when Caetano (45), the CEO of a telecom company, tells his wife and two children’s mother that “it’s over.” In pre-production.
Barcelona Trilogy
(El Estudio)
A propulsive Jihadist terrorist thriller set in Barcelona, written by Xavi Puerta...
24 Land
(Ficción Producciones, Ukbar Filmes)
A Spain-Portugal co-production from Pablo Iraola and Pandora Da Cunha, this WWII mystery drama follows a high-society woman willing to do anything to save her homeland from a foreign invasion. Selected to participate at Canneseries’ in development sidebar, the series will launch April 8 in Portugal.
Back Home
(CTV, SPi, Rtp)
A co-production between Galicia’s CTV and Portuguese broadcaster Rtp, this dramedy kicks off when Caetano (45), the CEO of a telecom company, tells his wife and two children’s mother that “it’s over.” In pre-production.
Barcelona Trilogy
(El Estudio)
A propulsive Jihadist terrorist thriller set in Barcelona, written by Xavi Puerta...
- 3/30/2020
- by Emilio Mayorga, Jamie Lang and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid — Argentina’s Pablo Trapero, one of the driving forces behind the renaissance of Latin American cinema, is teaming with El Estudio on two ambitious TV series: an English-language U.S. remake of his 2010 hit movie “Carancho” and true-facts inspired bioseries “Galimberti.”
Based out of Los Angeles, Mexico City and Madrid, El Estudio – a major independent TV and movie production house founded by former Sony exec Diego Suárez, Canana head Pablo Cruz, and top Spanish producer Enrique Lopez Lavigne – launched at last month’s Berlin Film Festival.
Trapero and El Estudio are represented by CAA.
“Carancho” comes second in a line of movies – after 2008’s Cannes competition entry “Lion’s Den,” but anticipating “The White Elephant” and 2016’s Venice best director winner “The Clan” – which established Trapero as one Latin America’s masters of crossover movies, mixing the social critique of Latin American art cinema with more broader audience appeal.
Based out of Los Angeles, Mexico City and Madrid, El Estudio – a major independent TV and movie production house founded by former Sony exec Diego Suárez, Canana head Pablo Cruz, and top Spanish producer Enrique Lopez Lavigne – launched at last month’s Berlin Film Festival.
Trapero and El Estudio are represented by CAA.
“Carancho” comes second in a line of movies – after 2008’s Cannes competition entry “Lion’s Den,” but anticipating “The White Elephant” and 2016’s Venice best director winner “The Clan” – which established Trapero as one Latin America’s masters of crossover movies, mixing the social critique of Latin American art cinema with more broader audience appeal.
- 3/23/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Trans-Atlantic Spanish-language production powerhouse El Estudio and Mexico’s Morbido Group have joined forces in the largest genre, horror and fantasy production initiative in the Spanish-speaking world.
Feature films, series, remakes and reboots of classic IP and even unscripted programming are all part of the plan going forward for El Estudio and Morbido. Already, the companies have one series, three films and a talk show in development which they will announce in the coming months.
Production is hardly the endgame for the two companies, however, as they will look to change the genre industry on a fundamental level. Other initiatives include consolidating theatrical distribution circuits across South and Central America, supporting industry acceleration hubs, producing local events in major Latin American countries, talent management, a comic book/graphic novel division and expanding the Morbido brand into Spain and the U.S.
Pablo Guisa’s Morbido Group, based in Mexico City,...
Feature films, series, remakes and reboots of classic IP and even unscripted programming are all part of the plan going forward for El Estudio and Morbido. Already, the companies have one series, three films and a talk show in development which they will announce in the coming months.
Production is hardly the endgame for the two companies, however, as they will look to change the genre industry on a fundamental level. Other initiatives include consolidating theatrical distribution circuits across South and Central America, supporting industry acceleration hubs, producing local events in major Latin American countries, talent management, a comic book/graphic novel division and expanding the Morbido brand into Spain and the U.S.
Pablo Guisa’s Morbido Group, based in Mexico City,...
- 2/27/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Berlin — Teaming two of the most energetic players on the new Spanish-language content scene, El Estudio and Infinity Hill are teaming to produce “Amor es Amor,” Rob Schneider’s Spanish-language movie debut as both an actor and director.
A comedy, “Amor es Amor” turns on Enrique Juarez, an up-and-coming Mexican telenovela actor on the verge of breakthrough as a leading man, who has to hide his true self in order to achieve stardom.
That includes creating a fake relationship with former pop sensation, Sofia. The mastermind behind the whole scheme is Julian Rodin (Schneider), a big TV network honcho, who is secretly having an affair with Sofia.
“Amor es amor” marks the latest turn in a career which saw Schneider debut in 1990 as a writer and soon after cast member on “SNL,” then break out out in movies in “Deuce Bigalow – Male Gigolo” in which he created one of his most famed characters,...
A comedy, “Amor es Amor” turns on Enrique Juarez, an up-and-coming Mexican telenovela actor on the verge of breakthrough as a leading man, who has to hide his true self in order to achieve stardom.
That includes creating a fake relationship with former pop sensation, Sofia. The mastermind behind the whole scheme is Julian Rodin (Schneider), a big TV network honcho, who is secretly having an affair with Sofia.
“Amor es amor” marks the latest turn in a career which saw Schneider debut in 1990 as a writer and soon after cast member on “SNL,” then break out out in movies in “Deuce Bigalow – Male Gigolo” in which he created one of his most famed characters,...
- 2/26/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. and El Estudio, a major new independent production player in the Spanish-speaking world, are teaming to produce a Mexican version of breakout Cuban feature “Juan of the Dead,” with Emilio Portés directing.
Chronicling a U.S. zombie invasion of Mexico, the remake marks one in a strong first slate of titles from El Estudio, launched at the Berlin Festival by three of the most connected producers in the Spanish-speaking world: Ex-Canana producer-partner Pablo Cruz, “The Impossible” producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Based out of Mexico, Los Angeles and Madrid, El Estudio has 63 projects in development or production. El Estudio is represented by CAA. Partners on early titles include Sony Pictures Intl. Prods., Netflix, HBO, Lionsgate, Viacom Intl. Pictures, Movistar Plus and Beta Film, El Estudio told Variety, announcing some of its 2020-21 projects:
“Verguenza” stars Mexico’s...
Chronicling a U.S. zombie invasion of Mexico, the remake marks one in a strong first slate of titles from El Estudio, launched at the Berlin Festival by three of the most connected producers in the Spanish-speaking world: Ex-Canana producer-partner Pablo Cruz, “The Impossible” producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Based out of Mexico, Los Angeles and Madrid, El Estudio has 63 projects in development or production. El Estudio is represented by CAA. Partners on early titles include Sony Pictures Intl. Prods., Netflix, HBO, Lionsgate, Viacom Intl. Pictures, Movistar Plus and Beta Film, El Estudio told Variety, announcing some of its 2020-21 projects:
“Verguenza” stars Mexico’s...
- 2/21/2020
- by John Hopewell and Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Golden Globe® winner Gina Rodriguez takes charge in the high-octane action adventure, Miss Bala, debuting on Digital April 16 and coming to Blu-ray and DVD April 30, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Caught in the perilous world of a brutal cross-border cartel, a young woman finds powers she never knew she had as she seeks to rescue her friend. Hollywood’s newest heartthrob, Ismael Cruz-Córdova (Mary Queen of Scots), stars alongside Rodriguez as the cartel kingpin, whose growing attraction to his strong-willed female hostage raises the stakes for both as the CIA, DEA, and rival cartels close in. Rodriguez and Cruz-Córdova are joined by co-stars, Anthony Mackie (Avengers: Infinity War) and Matt Lauria (“Friday Night Lights”) in this female-driven action story directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Contrapelo).
Miss Bala on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital comes loaded with over 60 minutes of bonus material, including eight deleted and extended scenes,...
Miss Bala on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital comes loaded with over 60 minutes of bonus material, including eight deleted and extended scenes,...
- 3/22/2019
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
“Miss Bala” director Catherine Hardwicke was ready to show Mexico in a different light and portray a female character that was both a badass and could be the quiet girl next door – and that’s what she got in her new movie starring Gina Rodriguez. As Hardwicke puts it, all in the “agency of female empowerment.”
“Miss Bala” is based on the 2011 Mexican film of the same name and is set at the U.S.-Mexico border. It follows Gloria (Rodriguez) who must take matters into her own hands when her friend is kidnapped in Tijuana.
“The original character is very passive — she doesn’t do anything active to save herself and many bad things happen to her,” Hardwicke said in an interview with TheWrap. “We made a bigger effort to show Gloria with agency and trying to figure out how to save herself… I’ve always loved Mexico, I...
“Miss Bala” is based on the 2011 Mexican film of the same name and is set at the U.S.-Mexico border. It follows Gloria (Rodriguez) who must take matters into her own hands when her friend is kidnapped in Tijuana.
“The original character is very passive — she doesn’t do anything active to save herself and many bad things happen to her,” Hardwicke said in an interview with TheWrap. “We made a bigger effort to show Gloria with agency and trying to figure out how to save herself… I’ve always loved Mexico, I...
- 2/4/2019
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Buenos Aires — Launching their new production house, La Corriente de Golfo, last April, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have tapped Mexican writer-director Kyzza Terrazas as the company’s head of development.
The appointment will certainly help build the company appointing an old-rounder capable of overseeing and implementing development, writing and directing, and a longtime friend of manny of the leading lights of a new creative generation of Mexican directors which has made its marks in cinema but is often now diversifying into TV.
It also builds on past relationships: a longtime friend and work colleague of both García Bernal and Luna, Terrazas co-wrote García Bernal’s feature debut “Deficit,” headed up development at Canana, the company Garcia Bernal and Luna created with Pablo Cruz from 2005. Terrazas ankled Canana in 2009 to make his feature debut, “Machete Language,” produced by Mexico City shingle Mr. Woo and exec-produced by García Bernal and Diego Luna.
The appointment will certainly help build the company appointing an old-rounder capable of overseeing and implementing development, writing and directing, and a longtime friend of manny of the leading lights of a new creative generation of Mexican directors which has made its marks in cinema but is often now diversifying into TV.
It also builds on past relationships: a longtime friend and work colleague of both García Bernal and Luna, Terrazas co-wrote García Bernal’s feature debut “Deficit,” headed up development at Canana, the company Garcia Bernal and Luna created with Pablo Cruz from 2005. Terrazas ankled Canana in 2009 to make his feature debut, “Machete Language,” produced by Mexico City shingle Mr. Woo and exec-produced by García Bernal and Diego Luna.
- 12/9/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Gina Rodriguez’s upcoming film “Miss Bala” is being hailed as a barrier-breaking action film. That’s the glass-half-full take on things. There’s another way of looking at the story of a beauty queen trying to escape a violent drug cartel, however. When it opens Feb. 1, “Miss Bala” will represent one of the starkest reminders of the dearth of big-studio films featuring Latinos in leading roles.
In 2017, just two of the year’s top 100-grossing films featured Latino actors in lead roles, according to USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s annual report on female and minority film representation. None of last year’s top 100 films featured a Latina actress in the lead role, and nearly 65 had speaking roles for Latinas. The release of “Miss Bala” comes at a time in Hollywood when other landmark films featuring African-American and Asian-American performers such as “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” have dominated the box office.
In 2017, just two of the year’s top 100-grossing films featured Latino actors in lead roles, according to USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s annual report on female and minority film representation. None of last year’s top 100 films featured a Latina actress in the lead role, and nearly 65 had speaking roles for Latinas. The release of “Miss Bala” comes at a time in Hollywood when other landmark films featuring African-American and Asian-American performers such as “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” have dominated the box office.
- 11/16/2018
- by Ricardo Lopez
- Variety Film + TV
Los Cabos, Mexico — Cultivated and connected, Carla Gonzalez Vargas has discovered her calling. The result, “Luis Miguel – The Series,” is one of Latin America’s drama series sensations of the year, catapulting lead Diego Boneta to fame, sparking a litany of extraordinary social media stats, and turning Gonzalez Vargas into still one of the very, very few Latina women show runners in the business.
Few Latin American TV executives have ever hit the ground running faster.“Luis Miguel – The Series” was Carla Gonzalez Vargas’ first gig as an executive producer and showrunner of a drama series. It was conceived a month or so after the launch of Gato Grande Productions, a joint venture between MGM Television and Gonzalez Vargas, husband Antonio Cué and Mexican empresario Miguel Aleman Magnani.
Screened Sundays on Netflix and Telemundo from April 22, “Luis Miguel” has become one of the biggest hits of the year, a social phenomenon,...
Few Latin American TV executives have ever hit the ground running faster.“Luis Miguel – The Series” was Carla Gonzalez Vargas’ first gig as an executive producer and showrunner of a drama series. It was conceived a month or so after the launch of Gato Grande Productions, a joint venture between MGM Television and Gonzalez Vargas, husband Antonio Cué and Mexican empresario Miguel Aleman Magnani.
Screened Sundays on Netflix and Telemundo from April 22, “Luis Miguel” has become one of the biggest hits of the year, a social phenomenon,...
- 11/8/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez stars in Miss Bala, the Catherine Hardwicke-directed English-language redo of Gerardo Naranjo’s hard-charging 2011 Spanish-language thriller. Columbia Pictures has set a February 1 release date for the film and took the wraps off the first trailer today.
Rodriguez, in the role Stephanie Sigman portrayed in the original, stars as an American recently arrived in Tijuana who is kidnapped by a cartel and drawn into the dangerous world of cross-border crime. She must use all of her cunning, inventiveness and strength she never knew she had to survive the ordeal. It’s a different kind of strength, to be sure, from what she exhibits on the CW’s flagship dramedy, but judging from this first look she is up to the task as she tightrope-walks between the gang and the feds, all with the singular goal of protecting her family.
Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer adapted the screenplay for the PG-13 pic,...
Rodriguez, in the role Stephanie Sigman portrayed in the original, stars as an American recently arrived in Tijuana who is kidnapped by a cartel and drawn into the dangerous world of cross-border crime. She must use all of her cunning, inventiveness and strength she never knew she had to survive the ordeal. It’s a different kind of strength, to be sure, from what she exhibits on the CW’s flagship dramedy, but judging from this first look she is up to the task as she tightrope-walks between the gang and the feds, all with the singular goal of protecting her family.
Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer adapted the screenplay for the PG-13 pic,...
- 10/16/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Gina Rodriguez plays a dangerous game in the first trailer for “Miss Bala,” in which she plays a woman who has to work for a crime boss after witnessing a murder.
Entertainment Weekly released the first trailer for “Miss Bala,” as well as some first look images. In the trailer, Rodriguez’s character travels to Tijuana after the death of her parents, and while at a club, a group of criminals come in with guns and kidnap her best friend. However, the American police are on to her, and Rodriguez’s character must play both sides to survive.
“In the end, the bullet settles everything,” says Miss Bala.
Also Read: Catherine Hardwicke to Direct 'Miss Bala' Remake for Sony
Catherine Hardwicke directs the action film that also stars Anthony Mackie and Matt Lauria. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer wrote the screenplay. The film is an adaptation of Mexico’s 2011 Oscar submission...
Entertainment Weekly released the first trailer for “Miss Bala,” as well as some first look images. In the trailer, Rodriguez’s character travels to Tijuana after the death of her parents, and while at a club, a group of criminals come in with guns and kidnap her best friend. However, the American police are on to her, and Rodriguez’s character must play both sides to survive.
“In the end, the bullet settles everything,” says Miss Bala.
Also Read: Catherine Hardwicke to Direct 'Miss Bala' Remake for Sony
Catherine Hardwicke directs the action film that also stars Anthony Mackie and Matt Lauria. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer wrote the screenplay. The film is an adaptation of Mexico’s 2011 Oscar submission...
- 10/16/2018
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Two of Mexico’s most respected women film executives Alejandra Paulín and Maru Garzón, have been named joint heads of the country’s Los Cabos Intl. Film Festival, one of Latin America’s fastest-growing film events. Paulín will serve as executive director and Garzón as artistic director.
The appointments were announced Thursday by Los Cabos president Eduardo Sánchez Navarro and Alfonso Pasquel, president of Los Cabos Arte y Cultura A.C.
Paulín and Garzón replace Hugo Villa, Los Cabos Festival director at last year’s edition but named in February as director of Mexico’s Unam Filmoteca, a key national cinematheque.
Garzón and Paulín’s new joint leadership recognizes their role in the build of Los Cabos, launched as recently as 2012, as a key – as well as highly enjoyable – event working an ever more dynamic U.S.-Mexico-Canada movie axis. Both already held top jobs at Los Cabos, Garzón as programming director,...
The appointments were announced Thursday by Los Cabos president Eduardo Sánchez Navarro and Alfonso Pasquel, president of Los Cabos Arte y Cultura A.C.
Paulín and Garzón replace Hugo Villa, Los Cabos Festival director at last year’s edition but named in February as director of Mexico’s Unam Filmoteca, a key national cinematheque.
Garzón and Paulín’s new joint leadership recognizes their role in the build of Los Cabos, launched as recently as 2012, as a key – as well as highly enjoyable – event working an ever more dynamic U.S.-Mexico-Canada movie axis. Both already held top jobs at Los Cabos, Garzón as programming director,...
- 4/26/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
“Here on Earth,” a political thriller that is an auteur turn from Gael Garcia Bernal, will bring much needed star power to the Croisette during the international TV Canneseries festival.
Produced by Fox Networks Group Latin America (Fngla) and Mexico’s La Corriente del Golfo, “Here on Earth” is more than just a star vehicle. In industry terms, it’s a high-end scripted drama. In political terms, it skewers Mexico’s ruling elite, turning a spotlight on the horse-trading, influence peddling, luxury, blackmail and murder — ferociously unexpectedly or hauntingly casual — practiced by one of Mexico’s most influential families whose patriarch, Governor Mario Rocha (Daniel Gimenez-Cacho), is preparing to run for president. In artistic terms, it’s one of the most ambitious projects yet from actor-director-producer Garcia Bernal.
Featuring, in figurative terms, fratricide and a father’s betrayal of his son, “Here on Earth” is “epic, near biblical, and highly classic,...
Produced by Fox Networks Group Latin America (Fngla) and Mexico’s La Corriente del Golfo, “Here on Earth” is more than just a star vehicle. In industry terms, it’s a high-end scripted drama. In political terms, it skewers Mexico’s ruling elite, turning a spotlight on the horse-trading, influence peddling, luxury, blackmail and murder — ferociously unexpectedly or hauntingly casual — practiced by one of Mexico’s most influential families whose patriarch, Governor Mario Rocha (Daniel Gimenez-Cacho), is preparing to run for president. In artistic terms, it’s one of the most ambitious projects yet from actor-director-producer Garcia Bernal.
Featuring, in figurative terms, fratricide and a father’s betrayal of his son, “Here on Earth” is “epic, near biblical, and highly classic,...
- 4/7/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Mexican multi-hyphenates Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna are launching film and TV production firm La Corriente del Golfo now that they have split from Canana, the firm they co-founded with producer Pablo Cruz 14 years ago.
The duo’s new Mexico City-based outfit will be run by Paula Amor, who previously served as Director of Media and Institutional Relations at the Morelia International Film Festival, and as Director of Communications at the Fenix Film Awards. First projects include Chicuarotes, a film directed by García Bernal, and Canneseries-bound thriller Aquí En La Tierra, by Gael García Bernal and Kyzza Terrazas.
Chicuarotes is the second feature directed by The Motorcycle Diaries star García Bernal. Scripted by Augusto Mendoza, the Spanish-language movie is currently in post after wrapping earlier this year in Mexico City. It follows two young friends who, in their desperation to leave the pueblo, get caught up in the nefarious activities of adults.
The duo’s new Mexico City-based outfit will be run by Paula Amor, who previously served as Director of Media and Institutional Relations at the Morelia International Film Festival, and as Director of Communications at the Fenix Film Awards. First projects include Chicuarotes, a film directed by García Bernal, and Canneseries-bound thriller Aquí En La Tierra, by Gael García Bernal and Kyzza Terrazas.
Chicuarotes is the second feature directed by The Motorcycle Diaries star García Bernal. Scripted by Augusto Mendoza, the Spanish-language movie is currently in post after wrapping earlier this year in Mexico City. It follows two young friends who, in their desperation to leave the pueblo, get caught up in the nefarious activities of adults.
- 4/6/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
In an anticipated move following their recent split from Canana, the shingle they co-founded with Pablo Cruz, Mexican multi-hyphenates Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna have launched a new film-tv company, La Corriente del Golfo (Gulfstream in English).
The new shingle aims to first serve as an independent production company for theatrical film and television projects and secondly, to develop a variety of community-oriented projects. Bernal and Luna are still collaborating on initiatives like Ambulante, a documentary film festival in Mexico that they co-founded 14 years ago.
“La Corriente del Golfo is an ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and travels all the way to the North Atlantic, allowing for a temperate climate – and, without which, there’d be Arctic tundra,” said Garcia Bernal, adding: “We take up the symbol of this global current to emphasize that liberty – in all its meanings –should flow as freely as an ocean current.
The new shingle aims to first serve as an independent production company for theatrical film and television projects and secondly, to develop a variety of community-oriented projects. Bernal and Luna are still collaborating on initiatives like Ambulante, a documentary film festival in Mexico that they co-founded 14 years ago.
“La Corriente del Golfo is an ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and travels all the way to the North Atlantic, allowing for a temperate climate – and, without which, there’d be Arctic tundra,” said Garcia Bernal, adding: “We take up the symbol of this global current to emphasize that liberty – in all its meanings –should flow as freely as an ocean current.
- 4/5/2018
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Longtime friends and production partners Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal are calling it quits on their production company Canana Films.
Canana will continue to operate under co-founder Pablo Cruz and Arturo Sampson, both of whom will oversee the company's day-to-day.
A statement released Monday said Canana will begin a "new phase" and will continue producing, but the company declined to specify why Luna and Bernal are stepping down.
"Canana arose out of the strength that fraternity gives us when we express ourselves freely," Bernal said. "That will continue to be the slogan for every project we embark on. As...
Canana will continue to operate under co-founder Pablo Cruz and Arturo Sampson, both of whom will oversee the company's day-to-day.
A statement released Monday said Canana will begin a "new phase" and will continue producing, but the company declined to specify why Luna and Bernal are stepping down.
"Canana arose out of the strength that fraternity gives us when we express ourselves freely," Bernal said. "That will continue to be the slogan for every project we embark on. As...
- 3/26/2018
- by John Hecht
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix announced today that Diego Luna and Michael Peña will be joining the cast of its popular drug drama, infusing the fourth season with a pick-me-up worthy of Pablo Escobar himself. The actors have worked together previously; Peña starred in Luna’s second directorial endeavor, 2014’s “Cesar Chavez.” “Narcos” is shifting location from Colombia to Mexico for the forthcoming season, having recently begun production on season 4 in Mexico City.
Read More:‘Puta’ Defined: ‘Narcos’ Stars Debate the True Meaning of TV’s Most Popular Spanish Curse Word
A fixture of the film world since his breakout in Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También,” Luna recently starred in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Flatliners.” He will next appear in Woody Allen’s forthcoming movie, “A Rainy Day in New York,” alongside Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, and Selena Gomez. Luna also works extensively as a producer and director under...
Read More:‘Puta’ Defined: ‘Narcos’ Stars Debate the True Meaning of TV’s Most Popular Spanish Curse Word
A fixture of the film world since his breakout in Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También,” Luna recently starred in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Flatliners.” He will next appear in Woody Allen’s forthcoming movie, “A Rainy Day in New York,” alongside Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, and Selena Gomez. Luna also works extensively as a producer and director under...
- 12/19/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Keep up with the revolving door that is the entertainment industry with our weekly Career Moves column that tracks all the comings and goings of the industry leaders that make Hollywood tick. Check out our last edition of Career Moves to find out who went where, when and why.
– The recently launched distribution company Grasshopper Film is moving into production. This week marks the opening of a brand new production company, Grasshopper+Marks Productions, that will join together three industry executives: Ryan Krivoshey, Founder & President of Grasshopper Film, Beata Gutman, Founder & President of Grasshopper Global, and Andy Marks, President of Marks Entertainment + Media.
Grasshopper+Marks will focus on issue-based, artistic storytelling directed by award winning filmmakers from across the world. Emphasizing Content with a Conscience, Grasshopper+Marks will connect brands, non-profits, foundations and movements with filmmakers who will bring their singular vision to each project.
The company already has a...
– The recently launched distribution company Grasshopper Film is moving into production. This week marks the opening of a brand new production company, Grasshopper+Marks Productions, that will join together three industry executives: Ryan Krivoshey, Founder & President of Grasshopper Film, Beata Gutman, Founder & President of Grasshopper Global, and Andy Marks, President of Marks Entertainment + Media.
Grasshopper+Marks will focus on issue-based, artistic storytelling directed by award winning filmmakers from across the world. Emphasizing Content with a Conscience, Grasshopper+Marks will connect brands, non-profits, foundations and movements with filmmakers who will bring their singular vision to each project.
The company already has a...
- 7/29/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Remezcla and Concā Vodka hosted a series of intimate events in Silver Lake to launch the first vodka Panamericano made combining ingredients from both the U.S. and Mexico as a prelude to Nalip’s Media Summit. Over the course of six days, they brought together some of L.A.’s most innovative Latino creatives in art, food, film, music, and more to celebrate the rich blend of cultures, passions, and experiences that give L.A. its carácter.
DJ Panamami provided special Latino music for dancing and listening. Concā Vodka provided food and specialty cocktails in a private home on Wednesday June 24 to honor Ambulante USA.
For over ten years in Mexico, Ambulante has provided bold documentary storytellers a platform to reach diverse audiences. Ambulante California is still a growing organization, and as Christina Davila gears up for the second edition of the festival in the U.S, this delightful reception kicked off their individual giving campaign, celebrated existing partners and began to develop new partnerships for the future. But most of all Remezcla and Concā Vodka hosted the event to celebrate documentary cinema and the upcoming Ambulante documentary festival tour September 19 - October 4, to take place in different public spaces all over the Greater La area. Including Pershing Square.
The director of Ambulante California, Christine Davila, unveiled part of the program which includes a doc from Guadalajara which so inspired me. She spoke about the particularities of the docs which are in fact universal in meaning. The official lineup will come soon and we'll have it for you as soon as Ambulante makes the announcement. Last year's program included films like "Alive Inside," "Living Stars," "Las Marthas," and "Bronx Obama."
On the other hand New York-based entertainment and culture outlet, Remezcla, was very well represented by Vanessa Erazo - its film section editor. Erazo briefly talked about Remezcla's new partnership with Conca, and screened a video blog documenting Costa Rican filmmaker Paz Fabrega, as she arrived to the World Premiere of her film "Viaje" at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. Fabrega's film is the first Costa Rican feature to screen at the renowned festival.
It was a beautiful night at a private residence in Silverlake. Among the many writers, directors, producers and actors was the new film programmer for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, who also programs shorts and world cinema for Sundance, Dilcia Barrera, and Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez of 3pas Studios - Eugenio Derbez’ and Ben Odell’s new production company. The talk was varied and interesting and the feeling was positive that this new generation of talent is ready to assume its role in the independent and Hollywood filmmaking community.
Check out Ambulante’s ongoing blog and learn more about this unique documentary festival below:
Ambulante is a community-driven, pop up film festival which partners up with local organizations to create free documentary screening events, with the aim of reflecting multicultural perspectives, spark dialogue and sharing communal experiences.
Ambulante California is a 501c3 non–profit organization that focuses on supporting and promoting documentary film as a tool for social and cultural change. The mobile film series travels to areas with limited access to film to diversify and democratize documentary culture.
Ambulante activates unique public exhibition spaces and curates a selection of documentaries that reflect multicultural perspectives, spark dialogue, and enhance cross-cultural appreciation. Ambulante offers 100% of its programming for free. In addition to the annual festival, the non-profit works year round to present community screenings in collaboration with other non-profits and civic organizations. The aim is to build an extensive network of partners to launch Ambulante film tours across the U.S.
(For its inaugural edition, the 2014 Ambulante California Documentary Film Festival partnered with over 40 community partners to organize 15 screening events in 13 different public venues across the Metropolitan Los Angeles Area from September 21 to October 4.)
Ambulante California emerges as part of Ambulante Global. Ambulante’s model originated in 2005 from the Mexican non-profit founded by actors and filmmakers Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes. Aside from Ambulante Mexico: www.ambulante.com.mx and Ambulante California, there is Ambulante Colombia: www.ambulante.com.co and Ambulante El Salvador: www.ambulante.com.mx/es/global/elsalvador
For sponsorship opportunities please contact
christine[At]ambulanteusa.com...
DJ Panamami provided special Latino music for dancing and listening. Concā Vodka provided food and specialty cocktails in a private home on Wednesday June 24 to honor Ambulante USA.
For over ten years in Mexico, Ambulante has provided bold documentary storytellers a platform to reach diverse audiences. Ambulante California is still a growing organization, and as Christina Davila gears up for the second edition of the festival in the U.S, this delightful reception kicked off their individual giving campaign, celebrated existing partners and began to develop new partnerships for the future. But most of all Remezcla and Concā Vodka hosted the event to celebrate documentary cinema and the upcoming Ambulante documentary festival tour September 19 - October 4, to take place in different public spaces all over the Greater La area. Including Pershing Square.
The director of Ambulante California, Christine Davila, unveiled part of the program which includes a doc from Guadalajara which so inspired me. She spoke about the particularities of the docs which are in fact universal in meaning. The official lineup will come soon and we'll have it for you as soon as Ambulante makes the announcement. Last year's program included films like "Alive Inside," "Living Stars," "Las Marthas," and "Bronx Obama."
On the other hand New York-based entertainment and culture outlet, Remezcla, was very well represented by Vanessa Erazo - its film section editor. Erazo briefly talked about Remezcla's new partnership with Conca, and screened a video blog documenting Costa Rican filmmaker Paz Fabrega, as she arrived to the World Premiere of her film "Viaje" at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. Fabrega's film is the first Costa Rican feature to screen at the renowned festival.
It was a beautiful night at a private residence in Silverlake. Among the many writers, directors, producers and actors was the new film programmer for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, who also programs shorts and world cinema for Sundance, Dilcia Barrera, and Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez of 3pas Studios - Eugenio Derbez’ and Ben Odell’s new production company. The talk was varied and interesting and the feeling was positive that this new generation of talent is ready to assume its role in the independent and Hollywood filmmaking community.
Check out Ambulante’s ongoing blog and learn more about this unique documentary festival below:
Ambulante is a community-driven, pop up film festival which partners up with local organizations to create free documentary screening events, with the aim of reflecting multicultural perspectives, spark dialogue and sharing communal experiences.
Ambulante California is a 501c3 non–profit organization that focuses on supporting and promoting documentary film as a tool for social and cultural change. The mobile film series travels to areas with limited access to film to diversify and democratize documentary culture.
Ambulante activates unique public exhibition spaces and curates a selection of documentaries that reflect multicultural perspectives, spark dialogue, and enhance cross-cultural appreciation. Ambulante offers 100% of its programming for free. In addition to the annual festival, the non-profit works year round to present community screenings in collaboration with other non-profits and civic organizations. The aim is to build an extensive network of partners to launch Ambulante film tours across the U.S.
(For its inaugural edition, the 2014 Ambulante California Documentary Film Festival partnered with over 40 community partners to organize 15 screening events in 13 different public venues across the Metropolitan Los Angeles Area from September 21 to October 4.)
Ambulante California emerges as part of Ambulante Global. Ambulante’s model originated in 2005 from the Mexican non-profit founded by actors and filmmakers Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes. Aside from Ambulante Mexico: www.ambulante.com.mx and Ambulante California, there is Ambulante Colombia: www.ambulante.com.co and Ambulante El Salvador: www.ambulante.com.mx/es/global/elsalvador
For sponsorship opportunities please contact
christine[At]ambulanteusa.com...
- 7/8/2015
- by Sydney Levine and Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
A&E is looking to Mexico for its next drama. The cable network is teaming with Amblin Television to adapt popular Mexican series Nino Santo, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Based on the drama created by Mauricio Katz, Pedro Peirano and Pablo Cruz and executive produced by Cruz, Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, Nino Santo follows a group of young doctors sent to a remote village to vaccinate the locals, where they encounter an unusual cult headed by an enigmatic faith healer. The curiosity of the doctors leads them to become involved with this group in the name of science. As
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- 9/18/2014
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Almost a year ago, we first told you that Ambulante — the traveling documentary film festival founded by Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, Elena Fortes, and Pablo Cruz — would cross the border into the U.S. almost ten years after its first edition in Mexico. Finally, the long-awaited rock tour of documentaries is about to land in Los Angeles.
The team behind Ambulante California, including the newly-appointed Director of Ambulante USA, Christine Davila, just announced their film lineup. On September 21, the festival kicks off at MacArthur Park with an outdoor screening of Bronx Obama. The doc follows the story of Puerto Rican single father, Louis Ortiz, whose uncanny resemblance to the President of the United States gives him a new lease on life as an Obama impersonator.
In total, 22 documentaries will screen at several venues across eight different neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The films represent a varied mix of topics, ranging from cultural identity to music, biographies, social justice, and environmental issues. Keeping with their mission to bring documentaries to underserved audiences, all events are free and most of them are outdoors.
In advance of the festival’s programming announcement, I spoke to Diego Luna in an exclusive interview. He shared why Los Angeles is in desperate need of this type of documentary festival, his favorite film from Ambulante California’s lineup, and his newest project, a film he is directing that’s about to start shooting.
Read the interview on Remezcla .
Written by Vanessa Erazo. LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
The team behind Ambulante California, including the newly-appointed Director of Ambulante USA, Christine Davila, just announced their film lineup. On September 21, the festival kicks off at MacArthur Park with an outdoor screening of Bronx Obama. The doc follows the story of Puerto Rican single father, Louis Ortiz, whose uncanny resemblance to the President of the United States gives him a new lease on life as an Obama impersonator.
In total, 22 documentaries will screen at several venues across eight different neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The films represent a varied mix of topics, ranging from cultural identity to music, biographies, social justice, and environmental issues. Keeping with their mission to bring documentaries to underserved audiences, all events are free and most of them are outdoors.
In advance of the festival’s programming announcement, I spoke to Diego Luna in an exclusive interview. He shared why Los Angeles is in desperate need of this type of documentary festival, his favorite film from Ambulante California’s lineup, and his newest project, a film he is directing that’s about to start shooting.
Read the interview on Remezcla .
Written by Vanessa Erazo. LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
- 9/15/2014
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
Actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna are two of the co-founders behind Ambulante, a film festival that tours Mexico bringing documentaries to communities typically without access to such movies. Now they wish to spread the festival to the United States and tour across California, and they’ve turned to Kickstarter to help make it happen.
Their goal is to raise roughly $52K in order to schedule screening events and bring filmmakers and other guests across the state. If they raise the money, they say the California tour will act as a pilot program to be able to schedule future events across other parts of the country.
Ambulante started in 2005 by Bernal, Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes, travelling across 12 different states in Mexico. They’ve screened everything from Oscar winner Searching for Sugar Man to the critically acclaimed The Act of Killing and the LCD Soundsystem rock-doc Shut Up and Play the Hits.
Their goal is to raise roughly $52K in order to schedule screening events and bring filmmakers and other guests across the state. If they raise the money, they say the California tour will act as a pilot program to be able to schedule future events across other parts of the country.
Ambulante started in 2005 by Bernal, Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes, travelling across 12 different states in Mexico. They’ve screened everything from Oscar winner Searching for Sugar Man to the critically acclaimed The Act of Killing and the LCD Soundsystem rock-doc Shut Up and Play the Hits.
- 7/10/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
A few months back, we told you that Ambulante — the traveling documentary film festival founded by Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, Elena Fortes, and Pablo Cruz — is crossing the border into the U.S. Well, now they need your help with the move to Los Angeles.
Raising money for a new non-profit isn’t easy and the fest is only a few months away. The team working to organize the SoCal stop on the documentary tour is taking to kickstarter and hoping that Gael and Diego fans will join forces with film aficionados to dig into their pockets and lend their support to Ambulante California.
Headed up by Sundance Film Festival Programming Associate Christine Davila, the Cali version of the fest will involve films that highlight Mexico’s political and social realities along with underrepresented voices from around the world. There will also be an open call for entries for a special section highlighting short docs produced in California.
Each day the documentaries will tour different universities, highs schools, museums, community centers, outdoor venues, and makeshift spaces. Californians will even get a chance to vote on locations for the screenings. Keeping with their mission of connecting underserved audiences with films they may not normally see, all screenings are free.
We caught up with Christine and Elena Fortes, Director of Ambulante, to get the lowdown on the kickstarter campaign. We got them to dish about the exclusive rewards for backers of the campaign, what Ambulante California has in store for audiences, and who would win in a tequila drink-off.
Christine Davila (Left) and Elena Fortes (Right)
Elena, Why was it important to create a festival in Mexico that specifically showcased documentaries?
Elena: When the festival started in 2006, there were barely any outlets for documentaries in Mexico. If they even found an avenue to get to audiences it was usually through one of the public television channels, which occupy minimum broadcast space. We were convinced that there was an audience out there for documentaries and that we needed to set out and actively search for it. A mobile festival became an answer to that. In the past nine years we’ve managed to grow our exhibition circuit to over 150 venues in 12 regions in Mexico. Our audience has increased by over 640% since 2006 and we’ve also traveled to 20 countries with the festival. A fundamental aspect of the festival has been to never take the films alone, but to always generate encounters with the audience, give rise to discussion around the films, confront the filmmakers with real audiences that they wouldn’t usually encounter in other film festivals, and celebrate one of festival’s most important aspects: bringing together the community in face-to-face encounters.
Christine, Can you explain how you first became aware of Ambulante and became involved?
Christine: I heard about Ambulante in 2007, the year I attended the amazing Morelia International Film Festival, which is actually a partner organization of Ambulante. Like many people, I was immediately attracted to the Ambulante movement both in the figurative and literal sense. Like Elena has said before, it’s romantic, this rock tour of documentary films and filmmakers. I like the cause but I also really dig the rebellious aspect of it. It is so determined to carve out spaces for cinema all around us and the fact that it is collectively fueled and that it’s a diverse, multi-tier audience builder makes it all the more potent. I became part of the programming team shortly after Morelia, becoming friends with Elena and Meghan Monsour, Director of Programming. Then, last year when Elena called me to ask if I was interested in being part of this next step in Ambulante Global, I jumped at being part of bringing and adapting it within the U.S.
Elena, How did you go about choosing who would head up Ambulante California?
Elena: It was not a difficult decision at all. We had been working with Christine closely since she worked with one of our partners, the Morelia Film Festival, and was also a programming advisor to us. In addition to her extensive experience in programming and film festivals, she can also understand the complexities of the Latino identity in the U.S, which was extremely important to us when planning a festival that was born in Mexico for the U.S. In the same way that in Mexico we were very cautious when bringing the festival to different states in order to make sure it doesn’t feel like some sort of imposition from outside, it was also important that the project in California could integrate with the community and make people feel part of it. Christine is also extremely driven so we knew that she would be willing to take a huge challenge and carry it through.
The Ambulante Film Festival has been around for several years now. Why did you decide to bring it to the U.S.?
Elena: We had been discussing the importance of replicating the model of the festival in other countries since 2009 but particularly of strengthening ties among the Spanish-speaking world across America. Initially, we wanted to only target the Latino population living in the U.S., the younger generations of Latinos and to offer content that would counteract all the stereotypes that have traditionally come from Hollywood about Latinos. But, when we thought about our primary mission, about bringing films to audiences that don’t regularly have access to documentaries and celebrating diversity, we decided we needed to focus on multicultural audiences and reach out to them directly by traveling around the city to different neighborhoods.
How are Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal involved in the California version of Ambulante?
Elena: They are founding partners of Ambulante and are part of our Board of Directors, so they oversee all of our projects and participate in the strategic planning of the organization.
Christine: Their involvement is genuine. They inspire me in the way they articulate the vision of Ambulante. It comes from such a personal, spiritual, and activist desire to foster unity. This is an invaluable guide for me when making decisions on how to adapt a living breathing organism in a new social and geographical context. It was so much fun shooting our kickstarter video together.
Why did you decide to launch a kickstarter campaign versus more traditional funding sources? What will the money be used for?
Elena: We want to engage our audience in the creation of the festival and place a lot of value on their input on venues, programming, and fundraising. Ambulante is a collective endeavor. The structure of the festival is very horizontal and we spend a lot of time training all our collaborators and volunteers so that they are capable of replicating the festival in case we run out of funds. So in a way, crowdfunding seems quite natural to us. We are empowering our audience to become part of the festival.
Christine: Initially, doing a kickstarter campaign was a way to introduce Ambulante to a new public and invite the public to join us in developing it on all levels. But now, it is a bit of bridge financing until we get our footing and realize the first festival tour. Our goal, beyond the money is that our backers community will prove to potential funders that Ambulante is a necessary cultural exchange that they should invest in so we can sustain year round programming and bring this to as many communities as possible. Ambulante has had a successful and reputable track record in Mexico but we are still considered a new festival here. Additionally, we are just establishing our U.S. non-profit. Traditional funders and sponsors don’t tend to give to start-ups.
Why should people donate to your campaign?
Christine: I think most people, myself included, donate to kickstarter because either they believe in the creators’ previous work, new idea, or connect to the concept. Donating a few bucks can give one a surprising sense of personal satisfaction.
Finding sponsorship is challenging, let alone finding the right sponsors/funders who get the mission and whose brand aligns with the organization’s goals. I’ve been thinking lately that perhaps the bright spot of not having one monolithic corporate sponsor this first year — and instead be supported by the general public we wish to serve — will be letting us launch this with the integrity of Ambulante intact, as a free for all space without conditions, restrictions, or imposition. And I love that!
Elena: It’s always very difficult to keep cultural projects going and to maintain our independence from the government. We offer most of our programs for free and considering the proliferation of digital platforms which have indeed become a powerful tool for all of us, there are also fewer opportunities for people to come together to watch a film. We believe in creating different cinema experiences that we feel passionate about. This may sound like a cliche but it is truly magical when screening films to an audience for the first time, to watch their reaction, how the film directly affects them, and what happens when people come together. This is an experience that will never be replicated by a virtual platform. It is also a way of engaging people in the discussion of relevant and important issues that aren’t necessarily part of the mainstream media’s agenda or a political agenda. Films can change attitudes, people’s perception and can therefore influence action and transform society.
Christine: Also, we believe this project has a long life ahead of it as one of the most ambitious satellites of the Ambulante Global network. So, I think that people who believe in us and the impact social cinema intervention has, can take away the long-term reward of having been the first to have supported us in the United States.
Can you tell us about the rewards people get for donating? I personally would pay a lot of money just to get a hug from either Gael or Diego. Are there any hugs for sale?
Christine: Ha! No, but I will give hugs for free to the folks who share the link the most! We want to reward everyone who donates no matter what level, so we are using the campaign updates as appealing incentives to join. We made about 10 original short videos that are exclusive to backers. They include personal moments with Gael and Diego where they share their passion for storytelling, inviting the public to vote on which venue we should do screenings, and submitting their short films. There are testimonials of filmmakers and staff about their experience of being part of this ecosystem. Then, there is the whole process of building this thing from the ground up which Elena and I plan on capturing on our iPhones throughout and after the campaign.
Can you talk about the spotlight on California-produced films and how the films will be selected?
Christine: Yes, we are announcing a call for short documentary films. We’d like to show mini-docs, so under 10 minutes, that show a slice of life or subculture unique to California. We have assembled a programming committee who will be watching and discussing these films all summer long and will select films in August.
You had a kick-off screening on May Day. How did that go?
Christine: Given that it was our very first screening and it was really a grassroots effort, it was beyond expectations. Everything was programmed in perfect harmony. We showed Cesar’s Last Fast on International Workers Day in one of the most historic and multicultural landmarks, MacArthur Park. Plus, we had a terrific music set by Las Cafeteras. Around 400 people showed up. Our goal is to replicate that special screening each night during our festival dates: September 21 – October 4!
How will Ambulante California be different than the festival in Mexico?
Christine: We want to see how well it takes root this first year so we are starting with a two week tour across the Greater La area. The long-term objective is to activate a national tour of documentaries across different cities similar to the original Mexico tour. Los Angeles is a microcosm of cultures so in many ways the landscape lends itself to do a micro-scale version.
We won’t be announcing our film lineup until the end of July, but I can tell you that the overall programming vision remains the same: discover, share, transform. Essentially the idea is that you can watch a film about someone completely different than you and find out, wow, you can relate and something resonates with that stranger or a culture seemingly foreign to you, leaving you transformed.
That said, in the U.S. and in California in particular, there is also a great opportunity for Ambulante to bridge the gap of supporting and linking Spanish-language stories and American multicultural films with their audiences, which is also a compelling experience.
We are so happy to have the support of Mayor Garcetti’s office and look forward to working with different district and neighborhood councils throughout Los Angeles. The more outreach I do the more excited I am about integrating Ambulante with the vibrant, engaging sector of dedicated civic leaders, community centers, urban community and development non-profits who are all about empowering, enriching, and democratizing the arts as part of an overall holistic approach to improving all our lives. We are allies with the International Documentary Association and the Sundance Institute. We are working with the The La River Revitalization Corporation, Central Library of Los Angeles, School of Cinematic Arts at USC, and every day we are talking to more organizations on how to partner up.
Between Christine, Elena, Gael, and Diego — who can drink the most tequila?
Christine: Elena can outdrink all of us.
Head over to kickstarter to become a backer and help bring Ambulante to California.
Raising money for a new non-profit isn’t easy and the fest is only a few months away. The team working to organize the SoCal stop on the documentary tour is taking to kickstarter and hoping that Gael and Diego fans will join forces with film aficionados to dig into their pockets and lend their support to Ambulante California.
Headed up by Sundance Film Festival Programming Associate Christine Davila, the Cali version of the fest will involve films that highlight Mexico’s political and social realities along with underrepresented voices from around the world. There will also be an open call for entries for a special section highlighting short docs produced in California.
Each day the documentaries will tour different universities, highs schools, museums, community centers, outdoor venues, and makeshift spaces. Californians will even get a chance to vote on locations for the screenings. Keeping with their mission of connecting underserved audiences with films they may not normally see, all screenings are free.
We caught up with Christine and Elena Fortes, Director of Ambulante, to get the lowdown on the kickstarter campaign. We got them to dish about the exclusive rewards for backers of the campaign, what Ambulante California has in store for audiences, and who would win in a tequila drink-off.
Christine Davila (Left) and Elena Fortes (Right)
Elena, Why was it important to create a festival in Mexico that specifically showcased documentaries?
Elena: When the festival started in 2006, there were barely any outlets for documentaries in Mexico. If they even found an avenue to get to audiences it was usually through one of the public television channels, which occupy minimum broadcast space. We were convinced that there was an audience out there for documentaries and that we needed to set out and actively search for it. A mobile festival became an answer to that. In the past nine years we’ve managed to grow our exhibition circuit to over 150 venues in 12 regions in Mexico. Our audience has increased by over 640% since 2006 and we’ve also traveled to 20 countries with the festival. A fundamental aspect of the festival has been to never take the films alone, but to always generate encounters with the audience, give rise to discussion around the films, confront the filmmakers with real audiences that they wouldn’t usually encounter in other film festivals, and celebrate one of festival’s most important aspects: bringing together the community in face-to-face encounters.
Christine, Can you explain how you first became aware of Ambulante and became involved?
Christine: I heard about Ambulante in 2007, the year I attended the amazing Morelia International Film Festival, which is actually a partner organization of Ambulante. Like many people, I was immediately attracted to the Ambulante movement both in the figurative and literal sense. Like Elena has said before, it’s romantic, this rock tour of documentary films and filmmakers. I like the cause but I also really dig the rebellious aspect of it. It is so determined to carve out spaces for cinema all around us and the fact that it is collectively fueled and that it’s a diverse, multi-tier audience builder makes it all the more potent. I became part of the programming team shortly after Morelia, becoming friends with Elena and Meghan Monsour, Director of Programming. Then, last year when Elena called me to ask if I was interested in being part of this next step in Ambulante Global, I jumped at being part of bringing and adapting it within the U.S.
Elena, How did you go about choosing who would head up Ambulante California?
Elena: It was not a difficult decision at all. We had been working with Christine closely since she worked with one of our partners, the Morelia Film Festival, and was also a programming advisor to us. In addition to her extensive experience in programming and film festivals, she can also understand the complexities of the Latino identity in the U.S, which was extremely important to us when planning a festival that was born in Mexico for the U.S. In the same way that in Mexico we were very cautious when bringing the festival to different states in order to make sure it doesn’t feel like some sort of imposition from outside, it was also important that the project in California could integrate with the community and make people feel part of it. Christine is also extremely driven so we knew that she would be willing to take a huge challenge and carry it through.
The Ambulante Film Festival has been around for several years now. Why did you decide to bring it to the U.S.?
Elena: We had been discussing the importance of replicating the model of the festival in other countries since 2009 but particularly of strengthening ties among the Spanish-speaking world across America. Initially, we wanted to only target the Latino population living in the U.S., the younger generations of Latinos and to offer content that would counteract all the stereotypes that have traditionally come from Hollywood about Latinos. But, when we thought about our primary mission, about bringing films to audiences that don’t regularly have access to documentaries and celebrating diversity, we decided we needed to focus on multicultural audiences and reach out to them directly by traveling around the city to different neighborhoods.
How are Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal involved in the California version of Ambulante?
Elena: They are founding partners of Ambulante and are part of our Board of Directors, so they oversee all of our projects and participate in the strategic planning of the organization.
Christine: Their involvement is genuine. They inspire me in the way they articulate the vision of Ambulante. It comes from such a personal, spiritual, and activist desire to foster unity. This is an invaluable guide for me when making decisions on how to adapt a living breathing organism in a new social and geographical context. It was so much fun shooting our kickstarter video together.
Why did you decide to launch a kickstarter campaign versus more traditional funding sources? What will the money be used for?
Elena: We want to engage our audience in the creation of the festival and place a lot of value on their input on venues, programming, and fundraising. Ambulante is a collective endeavor. The structure of the festival is very horizontal and we spend a lot of time training all our collaborators and volunteers so that they are capable of replicating the festival in case we run out of funds. So in a way, crowdfunding seems quite natural to us. We are empowering our audience to become part of the festival.
Christine: Initially, doing a kickstarter campaign was a way to introduce Ambulante to a new public and invite the public to join us in developing it on all levels. But now, it is a bit of bridge financing until we get our footing and realize the first festival tour. Our goal, beyond the money is that our backers community will prove to potential funders that Ambulante is a necessary cultural exchange that they should invest in so we can sustain year round programming and bring this to as many communities as possible. Ambulante has had a successful and reputable track record in Mexico but we are still considered a new festival here. Additionally, we are just establishing our U.S. non-profit. Traditional funders and sponsors don’t tend to give to start-ups.
Why should people donate to your campaign?
Christine: I think most people, myself included, donate to kickstarter because either they believe in the creators’ previous work, new idea, or connect to the concept. Donating a few bucks can give one a surprising sense of personal satisfaction.
Finding sponsorship is challenging, let alone finding the right sponsors/funders who get the mission and whose brand aligns with the organization’s goals. I’ve been thinking lately that perhaps the bright spot of not having one monolithic corporate sponsor this first year — and instead be supported by the general public we wish to serve — will be letting us launch this with the integrity of Ambulante intact, as a free for all space without conditions, restrictions, or imposition. And I love that!
Elena: It’s always very difficult to keep cultural projects going and to maintain our independence from the government. We offer most of our programs for free and considering the proliferation of digital platforms which have indeed become a powerful tool for all of us, there are also fewer opportunities for people to come together to watch a film. We believe in creating different cinema experiences that we feel passionate about. This may sound like a cliche but it is truly magical when screening films to an audience for the first time, to watch their reaction, how the film directly affects them, and what happens when people come together. This is an experience that will never be replicated by a virtual platform. It is also a way of engaging people in the discussion of relevant and important issues that aren’t necessarily part of the mainstream media’s agenda or a political agenda. Films can change attitudes, people’s perception and can therefore influence action and transform society.
Christine: Also, we believe this project has a long life ahead of it as one of the most ambitious satellites of the Ambulante Global network. So, I think that people who believe in us and the impact social cinema intervention has, can take away the long-term reward of having been the first to have supported us in the United States.
Can you tell us about the rewards people get for donating? I personally would pay a lot of money just to get a hug from either Gael or Diego. Are there any hugs for sale?
Christine: Ha! No, but I will give hugs for free to the folks who share the link the most! We want to reward everyone who donates no matter what level, so we are using the campaign updates as appealing incentives to join. We made about 10 original short videos that are exclusive to backers. They include personal moments with Gael and Diego where they share their passion for storytelling, inviting the public to vote on which venue we should do screenings, and submitting their short films. There are testimonials of filmmakers and staff about their experience of being part of this ecosystem. Then, there is the whole process of building this thing from the ground up which Elena and I plan on capturing on our iPhones throughout and after the campaign.
Can you talk about the spotlight on California-produced films and how the films will be selected?
Christine: Yes, we are announcing a call for short documentary films. We’d like to show mini-docs, so under 10 minutes, that show a slice of life or subculture unique to California. We have assembled a programming committee who will be watching and discussing these films all summer long and will select films in August.
You had a kick-off screening on May Day. How did that go?
Christine: Given that it was our very first screening and it was really a grassroots effort, it was beyond expectations. Everything was programmed in perfect harmony. We showed Cesar’s Last Fast on International Workers Day in one of the most historic and multicultural landmarks, MacArthur Park. Plus, we had a terrific music set by Las Cafeteras. Around 400 people showed up. Our goal is to replicate that special screening each night during our festival dates: September 21 – October 4!
How will Ambulante California be different than the festival in Mexico?
Christine: We want to see how well it takes root this first year so we are starting with a two week tour across the Greater La area. The long-term objective is to activate a national tour of documentaries across different cities similar to the original Mexico tour. Los Angeles is a microcosm of cultures so in many ways the landscape lends itself to do a micro-scale version.
We won’t be announcing our film lineup until the end of July, but I can tell you that the overall programming vision remains the same: discover, share, transform. Essentially the idea is that you can watch a film about someone completely different than you and find out, wow, you can relate and something resonates with that stranger or a culture seemingly foreign to you, leaving you transformed.
That said, in the U.S. and in California in particular, there is also a great opportunity for Ambulante to bridge the gap of supporting and linking Spanish-language stories and American multicultural films with their audiences, which is also a compelling experience.
We are so happy to have the support of Mayor Garcetti’s office and look forward to working with different district and neighborhood councils throughout Los Angeles. The more outreach I do the more excited I am about integrating Ambulante with the vibrant, engaging sector of dedicated civic leaders, community centers, urban community and development non-profits who are all about empowering, enriching, and democratizing the arts as part of an overall holistic approach to improving all our lives. We are allies with the International Documentary Association and the Sundance Institute. We are working with the The La River Revitalization Corporation, Central Library of Los Angeles, School of Cinematic Arts at USC, and every day we are talking to more organizations on how to partner up.
Between Christine, Elena, Gael, and Diego — who can drink the most tequila?
Christine: Elena can outdrink all of us.
Head over to kickstarter to become a backer and help bring Ambulante to California.
- 7/9/2014
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
For almost a decade, Ambulante, a nomadic documentary film festival, has inspired audiences across Mexico through the thought provoking, enlightening, and fascinating films they screen. Founded by Mexican superstars Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal as well as producer Pablo Cruz and Elena Forters.
Their mission is to democratize documentary culture. Since 2005, the non profit has annually organized an epic three-month tour across Mexico presenting remarkable international documentary cinema in areas with limited access to film. Thanks to a grant from the Ford Foundation, they plan to bring the project to the U.S. starting in California, most specifically in Los Angeles.
In order to bring Ambulante to California please back their Kickstarter Campaign. There is only 30 days to make this outstanding event happen.
From Sept. 21 – Oct 4 Ambulante will show a documentary each night, in a different neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles area in an alternative venue and for free.
Ambulante California has already initiated their efforts with recent community screenings of the films "Cesar's Last Fast" by Richard Ray Perez on May 1st at MacArthur Park and "Illusion Nacional" by Olallo Rubio on June 11th at the Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles. Both events were marvelously received by the community and were made possible thanks to overwhelming support from varied sources.
To make the full length festival a reality much more needs to be done and everyone can help.
Here’s how you can help in taking this project from beta to reality:
1. First, check out their fun video and read more about the project on the Kickstarter page.
2. Share the link far and wide with emails and Facebook posts.
3. Pledge your support.
4. Please follow and retweet the festival @AmbulanteCA
5. Please like their page on Facebook and spread the hashtag #BringAmbulante2CA
Ambulante is a collective effort and it will require incredible support to bring it to life. Visit the Kickstarter page Here. There are tons of great rewards!
Check out the video below...
Their mission is to democratize documentary culture. Since 2005, the non profit has annually organized an epic three-month tour across Mexico presenting remarkable international documentary cinema in areas with limited access to film. Thanks to a grant from the Ford Foundation, they plan to bring the project to the U.S. starting in California, most specifically in Los Angeles.
In order to bring Ambulante to California please back their Kickstarter Campaign. There is only 30 days to make this outstanding event happen.
From Sept. 21 – Oct 4 Ambulante will show a documentary each night, in a different neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles area in an alternative venue and for free.
Ambulante California has already initiated their efforts with recent community screenings of the films "Cesar's Last Fast" by Richard Ray Perez on May 1st at MacArthur Park and "Illusion Nacional" by Olallo Rubio on June 11th at the Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles. Both events were marvelously received by the community and were made possible thanks to overwhelming support from varied sources.
To make the full length festival a reality much more needs to be done and everyone can help.
Here’s how you can help in taking this project from beta to reality:
1. First, check out their fun video and read more about the project on the Kickstarter page.
2. Share the link far and wide with emails and Facebook posts.
3. Pledge your support.
4. Please follow and retweet the festival @AmbulanteCA
5. Please like their page on Facebook and spread the hashtag #BringAmbulante2CA
Ambulante is a collective effort and it will require incredible support to bring it to life. Visit the Kickstarter page Here. There are tons of great rewards!
Check out the video below...
- 6/18/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
After almost a decade of creating a successful traveling platform to showcase important documentary films around Mexico, Ambulante, the non-profit founded by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz, and Elena Fortes, has expanded to California. Ambulante California aims to continue this mission engaging audiences in the Los Angeles area.
The new organization's film public even will take place this Thursday May 1st in Los Angeles at MacArthur Park, this will include a musical performance by Alternative band Las Cafeters , and the screening of documentary Cesar's Last Fast, which chronicles the efforts and devotion of the farmworkers leader for a just cause. This is a Free event that encourages audiences from all backgrounds to participate and get to know Ambulante's mission ahead of the their official inaugural festival to take place September 21st to October 4th all around the Los Angeles county.
Learn more about Ambulante California Here
Take a look at out interview with Richard Ray Perez director of Cesar's Last Fast
Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2...
The new organization's film public even will take place this Thursday May 1st in Los Angeles at MacArthur Park, this will include a musical performance by Alternative band Las Cafeters , and the screening of documentary Cesar's Last Fast, which chronicles the efforts and devotion of the farmworkers leader for a just cause. This is a Free event that encourages audiences from all backgrounds to participate and get to know Ambulante's mission ahead of the their official inaugural festival to take place September 21st to October 4th all around the Los Angeles county.
Learn more about Ambulante California Here
Take a look at out interview with Richard Ray Perez director of Cesar's Last Fast
Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2...
- 4/30/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
As a Latina female currently defending my dissertation on 19th Century English Romance Fiction, I am clearly the most suited person to write about this film. The question is, do I need to be? Should I only be qualified to speak on certain cultural aspects of films if I fall within their demographic? It's unfair that when a filmmaker of any ethnicity makes a film, suddenly it's expected to speak for that entire culture. But what if the film itself tries to make that claim? From Prada to Nada touts itself as "a Latina take on Sense and Sensibility." But when all the jokes are about stealing hubcaps or immigration, when all the Mexican characters are basically janitors or housemaids, when all the Spanish being spoken is pretty much menu items or shouting "Aye yo mio!" or "Madre dios!," whose fault is that? Latinos get treated like Asians -- sure...
- 1/31/2011
- by Brian Prisco
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