The Content Americas Copro Pitch 2024
The Content Americas Copro Pitch 2024 offers a US$20,000 marketing prize for the winner, with shortlisted projects showcased live to the international coproduction community at Content Americas.
The winning project, selected by an esteemed panel of judges, will be announced at 5pm on 25 January at the Content Americas Closing Party.
The pitch welcomes scripted series and documentaries from the Lat Am and Hispanic programming business looking for international coproduction deals to take their projects global.
The 2024 Winners
Such was the strength of the pitches at Content Americas that two winners were picked out of the eight pitches, one for drama and another for factual, with each winning a marketing package worth US$20,000 across C21Media’s digital, print and event products to support the development and pre-sale promotion of the show.
In the drama category, Two Nights in Lisbon (6×50′), described as a gripping political thriller and psychological drama, was the winner, with Portugal’s Hop Films and Heroes Film from Ukraine picking up the award.
Portuguese public broadcaster RTP has commissioned this adaptation of author Chris Pavone’s thriller novel, in which a woman’s life is thrown into turmoil when her new husband is abducted in Lisbon and his kidnappers say they will kill him unless a €3m (US$3.29m) ransom is paid.
Half of the project’s €12m budget has been secured, thanks to a €600,000 investment from RTP, €3m from PIC, a Portuguese public cash rebate and €2.4m from an international distributor. A three-month shoot is scheduled for spring 2025.
“It’s a complex, intelligent, multi-layered thriller filled with twists, turns, secrets and lies,” said Henrique Oliveira, who wrote all episodes alongside Pavone, having previously written, produced and directed Cuba Libre for Netflix in 2022.
In the factual genre, Farruquito, A Flamenco Story, a feature documentary produced by Izen Group-owned Capa in Spain, was the winner. The doc delves into the life and tragedy of a contemporary flamenco dancer from a renowned dynasty.
With a budget of US$1m and US company Jondo Productions on board as a minority partner, most of the funds have been raised and filming is already underway. However, Capa is still looking for copro partners and pre-sale window opportunities, with the aim of completing the project before the end of 2024. Igor Martinovic (Man on Wire) serves as cinematographer, wjuhile Romani activist and poet Noelia Cortes is creative consultant.
The jury said the “universal language of dance, transcending nationality and age, captivated our hearts through its authentic story and passionate pitch.”
The Content Americas Copro Pitch Finalists 2024
Hot Sur
Synopsis:
Based on Laura Restrepo’s international best seller, Hot Sur introduces Maria Paz, an undocumented Mexican immigrant caring for her bipolar sister in the U.S. After a tumultuous life, Maria marries Greg for security, only to find herself entangled in her husband’s criminal world. An affair with his brother, Sleepy Joe, leads to a deadly twist: Greg’s death, leaving Maria falsely accused and sensationalized by the media.
Convicted after a flawed trial, Maria seeks redemption through a prison writing workshop. Granted bail for a retrial, she flees the courthouse, becoming a fugitive aiming to clear her name. Hot Sur explores Maria’s resilience and resourcefulness as she evades a determined U.S. Marshal, Jennifer Hidalgo, and confronts her former lover, Sleepy Joe, convinced she stole from him.
Season 1 of Hot Sur concludes with Maria in flight, pursued by U.S. Marshal Jennifer Hidalgo and the vengeful Sleepy Joe. The narrative tension heightens as Maria’s destiny hangs precariously, setting the stage for an intense and suspenseful continuation in subsequent seasons. This gripping drama delves into themes of injustice, immigration, and survival, leaving viewers intrigued by the evolving narrative in Season 2.
GENRE
Scripted series
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Mexico
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Fremantle is a global entertainment company that produces and distributes some of the world’s most popular content. The company has a diverse portfolio of TV shows, including reality TV, drama, and game shows. Fremantle has also made a name for itself in the scripted productions space, with critically acclaimed series such as The Mosquito Coast, My Brilliant Friend, The Young Pope, and Baghdad Central. Fremantle is committed to telling stories of diversity across genres, continents, and cultures. As creative storytellers, they believe in giving all people a voice and are committed to a culture of creativity, curiosity, and connectivity.
Fabula is a production company founded in 2003 by the Larraín brothers, Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín. The company is based in Chile, Mexico and the US, and has produced several feature films, documentaries, and TV series with a unique and daring vision. Some of their notable works include Spencer, Jackie, and A Fantastic Woman which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018.
Pitchees:
Manuel Marti is head of fiction at Fremantle Latam, where he oversees the process of finding and developing original content, arranging coproductions and building alliances among the key players in the industry. Before working at Fremantle, Marti spent 5 years at Polka, one of Latin America’s biggest production companies, working as head of development and international business; and 8 years at Turner International working as Latam’s original production director. Originally trained as an architect, Marti has worked in the fields of design, direction, and content production.
Mystery of the Megafauna
Synopsis:
GENRE
Documentary series
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Brazil
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Led by brothers Maurício Dias and Fernando Dias, GRIFA FILMES is OSCAR® qualified for two documentaries and three times nominated for the International Emmy Awards. The company is a high-quality Brazilian production company focused on producing great documentaries and series for the national and international markets.
Specializing in worldwide co-productions for over 25 years, Grifa Filmes has been creating awarded productions for television and theaters. The company is one of the most important and award-winning content producers in Brazil. In its background, Grifa Filmes has several successful programs, carried out in co-production with renowned broadcasting companies such as HBO, Netflix, Discovery channels, NATGEO, NHK, ARTE France, ZDF, France 3, France 5, CBC, Globo channels, RecordTV, TV Cultura, TV Brasil, BAND, Canal Brazil and many others.
Pitchees:
Producer, director, and Grifa’s founder. Specializing in documentaries, Mauricio Dias has produced more than 60 films. Dias directed the Netflix original series John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer, which hit the TOP 5 in Brazil and TOP 10 worldwide. His scientific documentary New Species, a coproduction with Gebrueder Beetz, Filmland, ARTE/ZDF, NHK, Globo Filmes and GloboNews, was released internationally at ARTE/ZDF, NHK, and GloboNews (Brazil). Among his most recent releases as a producer are the series 190 – Intelligence Against Crime and Eyes of the Law, both in the TOP 5 of the most-watched series on HBO Max Brazil.
With a bachelor in social communication from renowned Brazilian University ESPM, in São Paulo, Tatiana Battaglia has over 23 years of professional experience between marketing, advertising and film production. Specializing in documentary co-productions and international partnerships, Battaglia is currently head of international production at GRIFA FILMES, where she has managed business and new co-productions with France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand, after coordinating film productions in Switzerland, Africa, Peru, US, Canada and Brazil. Her skills includes the extensive knowledge and strategic analysis of international audiovisual agreements for co-productions and knowledge of the process for applying for audiovisual projects in Brazil using the Brazilian mechanisms of incentive laws. The documentaries she has produced have received many prizes worldwide and were broadcast in main international channels such as ARTE, ZDF, NHK, RTBF, BBC, CBC, Discovery, NATGEO, Al Jazeera, Globo channels, Canal Brazil, Tv Brasil, Tv Cultura, RecordTV, CURTA!, Box TV, among others. Battaglia’s latest productions, the German-Brazilian documentary feature The Cleaners and the Brazilian Piripkura, were both qualified to the Oscar’s 2019 shortlist, after receiving numerous awards worldwide. Her past Brazilian original production – Doctors of Joy – was also a pre-nominee for the International Emmy Awards 2005 and received the support of UNESCO.
Two Nights in Lisbon
Synopsis:
The clock is ticking. Ariel is running out of time. But the one in the world who can help is the one person she doesn´t want to ask…
Two Nights in Lisbon is an adaptation from the novel with the same name from Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Expats, as well as The Accident, The Travellers and Paris Diversion. His work has been translated into two-dozen languages.
GENRE
Scripted series
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Portugal / UK
PRODUCTION COMPANY BIO
HOP FILMS, founded in 2001 is one of the most recognized and trusted Portuguese production companies, leader in creating and producing original high-end fiction series. The company ́s main aim is to produce original content with the dimension, quality and potential to be distributed internationally. The last series produced by HOP Films, CUBA LIBRE, has won several prizes, including the Portuguese ́s Golden Globe for best series. It ́s been worldwide distributed by Keshet International and can be seen on Netflix.
HEROES FILMS is a feature films & scripted series development and production division of United Heroes, international group of content-making companies, founded by leading Ukrainian producers with decades of experience, including international co-productions on feature films, series, documentaries and non-scripted shows.
Pitchees:
Henrique Oliveira is the founder of HOP FILMS and a Portuguese award winning creator, scriptwriter, director and producer, with more than 30 years of experience. His work can be seen in series like Cuba Libre (written & directed by), Vidago Palace (co-written & directed by), Inside (directed by), April ́s Women (co-written & directed by), The Secret of Miguel Zuzarte (directed by), Major Alvega (created, co-written & directed by), and Claxon (co-written & directed by), among many others.
In the summer of 2022, while on vacation, he saw a commentator on TV suggesting a book, a thriller, entitled Two Nights In Lisbon. He immediately bought the book and read its 553 pages in two days. He was so excited about that fascinating thriller that he also immediately contacted its author, Chris Pavone.
The rest is this story…
Pavel Cherepin is a co-founder of United Heroes and an award winning Ukrainian producer, director and creator of non-scripted formats with 20+ years of experience in the industry. Known for sports and current affairs documentaries, action reality shows and interactive edutainment films. Co-creator of non-scripted shows Scarman and Supermatch, producer and director of documentaries Special Atmosphere, The Line of Attack, Five Finals, Inside Ukraine, Cyberwar 2022, 24.
Delito (Crimes)
Synopsis:
Only the occupant of 716 dares to leave a clue. The second is inside the bodies themselves.
After this start of impact, the viewer will enter a fast-paced story that will keep him in suspense at the hands of Santi Munárriz, the most charismatic, rebellious and asocial forensic expert of the Institute of Legal Medicine – “the body is the way the brain gets everything it needs from the outside world”, we are introduced-, and Berta Gigliani, a successful journalist who reappears after having vanished without a trace eleven years ago.
The apparent suicide of ten people with nothing in common and whom no hotel employee remembers having seen. No personal belongings were found in the rooms from which they jumped into the void, although on the bedside table of number 716 there are two lighted candles that illuminate a small virgin.
The majority of the opinion leaders of the main media are leaning towards the hypothesis of sectarian suicide, despite the fact that no link has been established between the so-called “Madrid suicide victims”.
Finally, citing sources in the case, the press announces that the police have found a link between the deceased. Apparently, all of them had some kind of illness or disability, and all of them seemed to have undergone some kind of healing process that the journalists define as “magical, without medical intervention”.
When Santi reopens body number three and feels the liver, he realizes that what is on it, that strange scar, is the work of a human being. A strange signature, perhaps.
GENRE
Scripted series
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Spain
PRODUCTION COMPANY BIO
Focus is a business organization that combines art and commerce in a variety of fields, including theater, events, technical services, audiovisual and communications. With over 35 years of experience, Focus is a leader in the performing arts industry and specializes in creating unique events.
In addition to its expertise in the performing arts, Focus also operates a division called Focus Tv&Films. This division focuses on the creation and production of audiovisual content. This division also advises public and private organizations on audiovisual policy and the acquisition and management of audiovisual rights on behalf of third parties.
Focus Tv&Films works with major local and national television networks, major audiovisual production companies and talented production companies to develop innovative and high quality audiovisual products. Focus has established itself as a major player in the industry with its integrated exploitation of artistic content and diverse business activities.
Pitchees:
XAVI VIZA
In 1994, he began working as a television program producer for Antena 3, before becoming a freelancer in 2000, specializing in children’s programs. In 2003, they joined RTVE as directors, winning several national and international awards for their work in different program formats. As Executive Producer, they have been involved in more than 15 animated series, youth programs and a film produced by RTVE. In the last three years at Focus, they have been Executive Producers for several television productions, including a telefilm that won the Intermedia-Globe Silver Award at the World Media Festivals 2023. He currently holds the position of Director at Focus TV & Films, overseeing the production of “Reina Roja” for Amazon Prime.
IGNACIO DÍAZ is the COO of Scenic Rights.
He graduated in Audiovisual Communication from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and holds a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Production and Management from TAI School, as well as a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Distribution from ECAM.
He has worked in production for Interpromo&VTC and Babieka Film. Additionally, he founded the advertising production company What The Film.
He currently serves as the COO of Scenic Rights, overseeing commercial supervision for the audiovisual market, as well as the Business Affairs area and strategic coordination of the agency’s international business.
El Mal
Synopsis:
Can Evil Spread? Is it like a virus that can infect us? How do you catch it? How do you fight it? Is there a cure? Is there a vaccine?
March and April 2020. State of emergency. Total lockdown. The first few weeks of the pandemic, the streets are deserted, kept clear by the lockdown. This provides an unrepeatable atmosphere for a series like EL MAL, set in Barcelona at this period in time. But the pandemic is just the backdrop, the pretext to explore how evil can spread, and the chance to depict a desolate, almost unreal Barcelona. An empty, phantom city where everything has come to a stop. Or rather, where it just looks that way.
Because underneath a Barcelona on lockdown, there is a hidden city where crime lives on, targeting the most vulnerable: people who aren’t on lockdown because they simply don’t have anywhere to lock up: the homeless. People who were invisible before but have now been pushed to the surface by the lockdown.
EL MAL is the portrait of a society laid bare, a world almost exclusively inhabited by the police and the homeless, all while a serial killer hunts their next victim. Based on a true story, EL MAL is an eight-episode thriller about evil seen as an infectious disease that can spread and cause pain and death. Like a virus.
GENRE
Scripted series
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Spain
PRODUCTION COMPANY
THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO is the content creation, production and distribution factory of GRUP MEDIAPRO, responsible for implementing high quality projects worldwide, developed in association with renowned talent of national and international prestige, including Paolo Sorrentino, Woody Allen, Isabel Coixet, Ran Tellem, Oliver Stone, Daniel Burman, Fernando León de Aranoa, Iván Escobar, Javier Fesser, Patricio Guzmán, Borja Cobeaga, Diego San José, Marc Cistaré, Manuel Huerga, Ernesto Daranas, Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Laura Belloso, Marc Vigil, Fernando González Molina, Javier Olivares and Ruth García, among others. Present in 24 of the group’s 52 offices, THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO produces drama series, films, entertainment programs, short-formats and documentaries of all genres. THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO’s partners include many of the industry’s key operators, such as HBO Max, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Viacom and WarnerMedia and its productions have garnered various international awards, including 2 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, 2 Daytime Emmy Awards and multiple Goya awards.
Pitchees:
Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Universidad San Pablo CEU. MBA from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid and a master’s degree in Audiovisual Production from the Complutense University.
He began his professional career at Sogecable where he held the position of Head of Acquisitions (Canal+, Box Office, Cinemanía and other channels). Later he worked as Director of Acquisitions, Sales and Materials at Antena 3 TV.
In 2002 he joined the Mediapro Group, where he has been responsible for the executive production of more than 50 films. Among others, titles such as The Secret Life of Words, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, A Wild God, Camino, Nobody Wants the Night, Salvador (Puig Antich), A Perfect Day, Official Competition or The Good Boss, winner last year of multiple national and international awards, including six Goya Awards.
Mendez is also responsible for the executive production of fiction and non-fiction projects for television in Spain and internationally, including Sorrentino’s The Young Pope and The New Pope, the saga Vota Juan; the thriller Express or the sports docuseries All or Nothing: Manchester City, Six Dreams or Fernando.
Farruquito, a Flamenco Story
Synopsis:
Farruquito is known in the flamenco community because he performs with a unique dancing style that he inherited from his grandfather “El Farruco”, a legend in the flamenco world. With this film we will witness how Farruquito passes on the torch to his son “El Moreno”, who’s only 11 years old but already an artist on his own right. He is a spitting image of Farruquito as a child, and looks up to his dad in the same way his dad looked up to his legendary grandpa “El Farruco”.
GENRE
Feature documentary
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Japan, United States & Spain
PRODUCTION COMPANY
CAPA España (iZen Group) is a production company specializing in documentary series and non-fiction formats.
The highest quality in both form and substance; fascinating stories in both plot and subject matter. Headed up by Santi Aguado.
Pitchees:
Santi Aguado is a director and producer from Barcelona, who served as the Video Director for VICE Spain for 5 years. His work with the international office earned him a nomination for an Emmy in 2021 with the program ‘VICE News Tonight’. He also led the launch of VICE Studios in Spain, which led him to direct and produce a series about the future of technology on RakutenTV.
Recently, he directed a documentary series about the figure skater Javier Fernández for TVE (Spanish public television) and is the producer of a feature film for the ’30 for 30′ series on ESPN, set to be released in 2024. Before studying film, he pursued studies in Sociology and Political Science, and he has a great interest in social and environmental issues
Climate Migrants
Synopsis:
Climate Migrants is a documentary series that addresses the population displacements caused by climate change in Latin America. Through the use of real-life stories, interviews with experts and journalistic data, current social and environmental affairs will be discussed, pondering on the implications they could carry out in the future.
GENRE
Documentary series
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Argentina
PRODUCTION COMPANY BIO
For more than two decades UNTREF Media have been developing high-value content and formats. We stay at the forefront of the latest digital trends and new narrative forms.We tell stories that touch the hearts of audiences, capture their interest and generate knowledge.We have the experience and the resources to carry out projects of excellence, according to the requirements of each client and also to generate original content in-house at all stages.
Pitchees:
Federico Consiglieri, general director at UNTREF Media. Consiglieri has a wide exprience as producer and content creator including record in companies such as New Sock, Pramer, Pomofilm and Fatto in Casa. Consiglieri has also experience as Journalist and TV Host. Since 2011 he has been pushing UNTREF Media as a key player within the TV Industry
Iron Woman
Synopsis:
In a period marked by military dictatorship in the 60s and 90s in Brazil and Latin America, Eliane Sanuto, a black Federal Deputy, is ousted and exiled in Europe. After two decades, she returns with unwavering determination to challenge the dictatorship led by Alcemiro, unraveling the secrets behind her husband’s death. Founding a political party, she advocates for free elections, emerging as the sole opposition candidate amid attacks, media manipulation, and startling revelations about her husband, now alive, and her new adversary as she rises to the presidency.
The series chronicles Eliane’s deep-seated struggles against oppression, from her days as a deputy to the presidency, facing betrayals, attacks, and an international conspiracy. The plot is an emotional rollercoaster for Eliane, who, even after being captured and enduring torture, finds support in unlikely allies, maintaining unwavering strength. Her journey is marked by personal tragedies as she tirelessly fights for civil rights and the preservation of democratic institutions. The presidential elections highlight Eliane as a committed candidate challenging the status quo. However, victory doesn’t end the challenges; she confronts political resistance, internal plots, and the weight of the dictatorship’s legacy. During one of her terms, amidst a commotion over an assassination attempt, she receives the Nobel Peace Prize, falling into a coma for two weeks. An engaging narrative explores profound themes of justice, freedom, and redemption amid political turmoil.
Inspired by the formidable courage of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the series showcases five women challenging oppression, advocating for equality, and becoming symbols of resistance. Eliane confronts her fears and rebuilds her relationship with her two daughters amid conspiracies and rivalries in the political game for power, a journey that a black woman undertakes in becoming the Iron Woman, a symbol of absolute power in a dystopian society.
GENRE
Scripted series
PROJECT’S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Brazil
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Eva Filmes is a production company dedicated to the realization of independent projects, established in 2018. The company aims to professionalize and diversify the audiences reached by its works. In its essence, Eva Filmes was created to provide space and voice for black individuals in the audiovisual sector. That’s why our team is predominantly composed of black individuals or those belonging to other identity minorities.
Just like its team, the themes addressed by Eva Filmes focus on minorities, with an emphasis on black representation in the audiovisual industry. The goal is to bring a different perspective to the everyday lives of these characters, who are often marginalized by the mainstream media.
Pitchees:
Jarsom Wayans
Director, writer, and executive producer/ showruner, CEO Eva Filmes Ltda, Brazil
A film director, producer, actor, and showrunner who studied at Udla Ecuador and the University of Santa Fé in New Mexico. He has worked on various film projects in Ecuador, Argentina, and Brazil, as well as TV programs in Panama and Peru. Currently, he is the founder of Eva Filmes and the director of the film The Silence Has a Woman’s Face, the play Slave Ship, and the portrait of Dorian Gray in Brazil. Additionally, he serves as an ambassador for Amago.
Alcemir Vieria de Oliviera
Author, screenwriter, and director. Oliviera studied audiovisual at the Adolpho Bloch State Technical School and earned a cinema degree from Estácio de Sá University, followed by a master’s in 3D animation from Veiga de Almeida University. In his professional journey, he interned at ESPM University’s audiovisual sector, worked with Record TV channel’s image archives, interned in Casablanca production company’s VFX sector, and currently, he serves as a Flame artist at Inova Filmes.
Judges
Steve Matthews
Karina Dolgiej
Information
The Content Americas Copro Pitch 2024 will bring C21’s tried-and-tested format to Latin America, awarding its winner a prize of US$20,000 worth of marketing across C21Media’s digital, print and event products to support development and pre-sales promotion of the show.
The competition is open to early-stage scripted series and documentaries from established producers from Latin America, Spain and Portugal looking for international coproduction partnerships.
The deadline for entries has been extended to December 8 (midnight GMT), 2023.
Projects will be shortlisted and a select number will be invited to present a live pitch during Content Americas, which takes place between January 23 and 25, 2024, in Miami. The winning pitch will be announced during the event.
Successful submissions will be notified if they have been selected to pitch by December 15.
Entrants should note the country of origin of each production at entry stage.
Entries must be made in English.
For further information email [email protected]
Pitch criteria:
- Producers can submit up to two projects.
- Projects must have at least one part funding in place and be able to demonstrate this.
- Shortlisted projects will be selected to present a live pitch to delegates at Content Americas during the event (January 23-25, 2024).
- The pitch must include as much information as possible, including the rationale for international partnership and exactly what is required at this stage of development. It should be treated as a broadcaster/platform pitch.
- Mood boards, casting, treatment, mini-pilots or sizzles should be included if available.
- Entrants will be notified if they have made the shortlist and if they have been invited to pitch by December 15.
Eligibility:
- New scripted series or documentaries (featured or series) suitable for international coproduction looking for commission and/or finance.
- Projects must be unseen and not selected for another market within six months before Content Americas.
- Projects must have at least one part funding in place.
- Projects must be from established broadcasters and producers.
- Projects can be suitable for mainstream networks or global or emerging digital platforms.
- Both longform and shortform series will be considered.
- All projects entered will need to be available to pitch to conference 23 – 25 January 2024 (up to two people per project).
- The projects selected to pitch live at the event will be offered complimentary passes to Content Americas.
- Projects must originate from Latin America, Spain or Portugal and be looking for international coproduction partnerships.
The prize:
- The wining pitch will receive US$20,000 worth of marketing across C21Media’s digital, print and event products to support development and pre-sales promotion of the show.
Submission:
Please enter the C21 Content Americas Pitch Competition by clicking here, including:
- A clear outline description of the project you wish to pitch.
- Why you want to present this through C21.
- Financing plan outlining what finance is in place and what is still required.
- Series bible, pilot treatment, scripts if available.
- Teaser/other supporting visuals where available.
Entrants should note the country of origin of each production at entry stage.
Entries must be made in English
Deadline for submissions is December 8 (midnight GMT), 2023. No entries will be considered after this date.**
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