Samuel Castro: Last News

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Expanded to four full days, Madrid’s Iberseries & Platino Industria, a joint venture of the Fundación Secuoya and EGEDA, Spain’s large rights collection society, opens its doors for its third edition on Tuesday Oct. 3, running all week at Madrid’s Matadero. I & IP is a market, thanks to its Iberscreenings showcase, and ever more a co-pro forum as well as a massive financing emporium with 149 (sic) projects being pitched behind closed doors at Platforms, Producers Pitch sessions.

Anna Marie de la Fuente 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. 

Anna Marie de la Fuente The 2nd Iberseries & Platino Industria in Madrid has lured a large number of top showrunners and TV execs to participate in the annual event’s multiple panels over Sept. 27-30. The intense and extensive program of some 40 conferences and keynote addresses include discussions on animation, financing, creativity and talent, education, sports, artificial intelligence and platforms, among others.  Launched last year, Iberseries is conceived as an exclusive space for the intersection between business and creative talent, as well as the exchange of ideas, projects, financing and co-production opportunities among the growing ranks of the Ibero-American TV industry.