After opening recent offices in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina this 12 months, Netflix is now turning its attention to Colombia.
Francisco Ramos, Netflix’s VP of original content, Latin America, was on the sixty fifth Cartagena Film Festival (FICCI) to present 4 key initiatives aimed toward bolstering the country’s audiovisual industry and provides a sneak peek of Season 2 of “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” the streamer’s most ambitious series within the region.
“To us, telling stories in Colombia is only the start. We would like the experience of manufacturing on a big scale – as we’ve done with ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ – to go away a positive impression on the creative industry. Today, the goal is to proceed driving this growth in order that the local ecosystem becomes increasingly robust, competitive and sustainable,” said Ramos, noting that Netflix was marking its fifteenth anniversary in Latin America, where it produced three out of its first five original local language shows.
In an exclusive interview with Variety, he identified that while Colombia has shown immense potential, it stays vital that Netflix provide not only financial support, but in addition the resources to execute artistic and technical craftsmanship.
“Otherwise, there’s a risk of a bubble: a lot of production without quality, ambition or proper execution. The talent exists and with the initiatives we’ve been doing — and the brand new ones we’re launching — we’re emphasizing the necessity for more people to develop their craft. This may allow not only more diverse stories but in addition a deeper understanding of Colombia’s complexity: multiple large cities, diverse cultures, Caribbean, Pacific, central regions, and borders with several countries. On the technical side, people have all the time had the knowledge, but lacked resources. Now, we offer the tools and opportunities to completely develop their expertise.”
“I actually imagine it’s crucial for talented people to feel they’ll reach their very own country. I’d be concerned if talented Colombians felt that to reach any craft — production design, costume, makeup, VFX, cinematography or production — that they had to go away the country. People must have the choice, especially in such a culturally wealthy country like Colombia, to construct their careers at home.”
The 4 recent training initiatives are:
Opera Prima Lab Film & Series:
Developed in partnership with FICCI, it is going to deal with guiding emerging filmmakers who’re developing their first feature film or series. Alongside Netflix, this system “offers specialized mentorship in storytelling, essential production tools, and access to the FICCI programming, aimed toward continuing to construct our capability to inform our own stories,” said Mónica Moya, FICCI industry director.
“There are extraordinary recent filmmakers emerging — once I say “small,” I mean their movies are small in scale, not in vision. A lot of these movies wouldn’t be made without incentives, so we’re constructing the infrastructure to present these filmmakers access to individuals who can assist make their projects more extraordinary, unique and individual,” Ramos asserted.
“It’s interesting because some might think our efforts are self-serving, but a lot of these movies may never even find yourself on Netflix — and that’s perfectly nice. These filmmakers or writers could later work on a show with us or bring a project to us. I genuinely feel that when a movie gets made due to resources and support we offer — even when we’re technically competitors — it validates the ecosystem we’re constructing,” he added.
Lab Macondo 3:
In partnership with the Colombian Film Academy, led by Cristina Umaña, actress and President of the Colombian Film Academy, the Lab builds on earlier editions focused on literary adaptation and production design. Now in its third iteration, it centers on executive production because the bridge between creative vision and project sustainability, with most of its 24 participants hailing from across Colombia’s regions.
“Developing the craft of production designers — much like the best way exceptional designers in Mexico are recognized globally — might be hugely helpful here. For instance, many art directors who worked on ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ with Bárbara Enríquez are actually joining us and even our competitors as production designers, because they now understand and might bring this level of vision to a project,” Ramos noted.
Audiovisual Industry Provider Training Program: 80 firms might be participating on this initiative in partnership with local producers association ASOCINDE, which is able to deal with fortifying the capabilities of firms to develop and produce content, said its president Diego F. Ramírez. “Every link within the chain is crucial for content to succeed in audiences across borders; that’s the reason this system promotes the event of skills, services and logistical capabilities that enable us to take our productions further.”
BAMMERS: Developed alongside promotional entity Proimágenes Colombia as a part of the Bogotá Audiovisual Market (BAM), the initiative backs a brand new generation of Latin American producers by providing them with tools and connections to develop projects with international appeal.
“Opportunities make the difference, and these training programs pave the best way for them. Initiatives like BAMMERS provide access to international experts, allow for the sharing of experiences, and connect participants with producers currently lively within the industry. It’s a novel opportunity — one which’s often found not in universities, but in real life — and this is step one,” said Claudia Triana, executive director of Proimágenes.
This initiative builds on the momentum led by “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” which marked a milestone for Colombia’s industry, not just for its cultural significance but in addition for its economic impact. Injecting near $60 million into the national economy, it was a gargantuan production that involved constructing the mythical village of Macondo, which spanned over 5,812,506 square feet and tapped hundreds of local talent and resources.
The sixty fifth Cartagena Film Festival runs April 14- 19.