Costa Rica Media Market (CRMM), which was revitalized last year as an offshoot of the Central American and Caribbean audiovisual market, is hosting a packed two-day conference on July 14-15, followed by a fam tour for most of the attendees.
Organized by the Film Commission of Costa Rica, the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Promocomer) and the Tourism Agency Essential Costa Rica, CRMM aims to strengthen its position as an important platform for regional projects in the international market.
Led by Film Commissioner Maricela Zamora, the market is expected to host 900 business meetings with around 350 international participants, up from 275 last year.
Roundtable Talk, CRMM
“One of the most exciting developments this year is the convergence of industry perspectives. We welcome a new generation of producers working in Disney, Mr. Beast and Hollywood, as well as leading companies from countries such as Mexico and Colombia, two of the strongest audiovisual industries in the region,” Zamora told Variety.
“Putting them in conversation with talent from across Central America and the Caribbean creates a unique space for new ideas, partnerships, and a more connected regional industry.”
Ari Cheren, producer of YouTube and TikTok phenomenon MrBeast, known for his fast-paced videos built around elaborate challenges and philanthropy, will not only take a public tour of CRMM, but will also have the opportunity to meet with local producers and location managers. “For us, this is a unique opportunity to showcase the talent, capabilities and location that Costa Rica offers for international productions,” says Zamora.
Among the highlights of this edition is the launch of Women in Fan LatAm, an extension of the WomanInFan initiative created by the Sitges International Film Festival and a continuation of the Fantastic Lab Central America & Caribbean introduced last year.
“Through Fantastic Lab and Women in Fan LatAm, we are opening a new door for genre cinema in Central America and the Caribbean, presenting 24 carefully selected projects across fiction, documentaries and series, which together reflect a region with increasingly ambitious stories for the international stage,” Zamora points out.
Opening day Tuesday begins with a conversation with Felipe Pacheco, Costa Rica’s first Oscar-nominated talent, who won Best Sound for his work in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
This will be followed by a much-anticipated talk on how studios choose filming locations and the factors that drive these all-important decisions. Panelists include representatives from Disney, 20th Century Studios, and Cimarron Cine of Mediapro Studios, known for numerous notable credits including JA Bayona’s Oscar-nominated “Society of the Snow.”
The second panel, titled “The Future of Storytelling,” will feature Jule Cuartas of 11:11 Films & TV, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, CEO of Alegria Films, and Greta Talia Fuentes, VP of Development at Macro.
On day two, Charlie Sextro, Utopia’s senior vice president of acquisitions and business development, will address one of the most complex questions facing filmmakers: “What makes a film a breakthrough? How do festivals, buyers, and distributors decide?”
This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring TIFF programmer Diana Cadavid, Lester Ribet of the Puerto Rican Film Festival, and Patricia Velazquez of the Costa Rican Film Festival, who will discuss how the festival promotes talent, the industry, and audiences.
The thorny issue of AI will naturally be discussed, with Megatrax’s Adriana Ramírez leading the discussion. Pitches and workshops will also be part of the agenda.
Finally, Sitges Film Festival Secretary General Mónica García and director and producer Luis Javier Enine will discuss the remarkable expansion of genre films in Latin America, moderated by Pablo Guiza, CEO of Grupo Morbido.
“Our goal is to establish the Costa Rica Media Market as the leading audiovisual market in Central America and the Caribbean. We want the Costa Rica Media Market to be the place international decision makers come to discover the region’s next stories, talent and production opportunities. Ultimately, we hope this market will become a catalyst for projects that move from development to production and reach audiences around the world,” Zamora concluded.
Costa Rica media market
