José Luis Cabruja de Not Normal
Jose Luis Cabruja, CEO of Guaraní Films in Paraguay and Cabruja Films in Bolivia, is taking a bold step into the U.S. Hispanic market by establishing a new production hub in Miami. Up to now his combined South American production companies have won the prize in the 2019 Ojo de Iberoamérica,, or Eye of Ibero-America International Festival, for Best Production Company in the Southern Region, were named finalist in the 2019 Cannes Lions and won a Bizz Award for Company of the Year 2019 in San Francisco, California. Cabruja took his first steps in the business as marketing manager for Red Bull and Miller in his own country. He is now applying his experience to unite the South American region and Miami as production hubs. “After this big bang to the world´s economy dealt by Covid-19, which has severely affected our sector, the traditional large structures for audiovisual productions have become unsustainable,” Cabruja said. “The new normal is not normal! Versatility, talent and tech solutions are the new order of the day. The world has changed and there’s no looking back. Adaptation to change for big companies in the sector will be very difficult – and for some, impossible. Most advertising and branded content investors are looking for new ways to optimize their investment, and that is where this new production hub in Miami comes in.” From South American cities like Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and Asuncion in Paraguay, Cabruja and his team have reached an exponential degree of quality over the past few years and at lower costs than have been achieved in neighboring countries. “Miami also holds great promise,” he said.”Yes, even though today it is the epicenter of the pandemic, it is possible to shoot freely there by complying with biosafety guidelines. Additionally, one can make the most of the beach and shopping, which makes it very attractive for other countries. This synergy of markets generates a two-way effect as to the possibilities of shooting spots for U.S. Hispanic clients in South America – and vice versa!”