Grupo Castalia and Mexicanal developing first fiction

Luis Torres-Bohl, founder & president of Castalia and Mexicanal, announced at #PRODUprimetime with Ríchard Izarra, that they were developing their first fiction series in co-production “with really large companies.”

“We have a very significant IP. We are developing it with quite large companies and I think it will be a pleasant surprise for all who see watch it,” said Torres-Bohl, who describes himself more as a humanist than a TV entrepreneur, with almost 50 years of experience. Ríchard presented him as a discreet executive, but with a very fine humor.

“The pandemic has made us all more human and I owe my humor to the country where I was born. In Peru, if you don’t have a good sense of humor, with something of irony, you won’t be around for a long time, as they say over there”.

Luis focused the conversation, first of all on his team, which most of it comprises family relatives and works very well; then in Mexicanal, now 16 years old and that made him know intimately and love Mexico; and third, in his new venture, Europa+, an OTT that essentially targets the millions of Europeans who live in Latin America and are willing to see programming from their countries, as Mexicans residing in the US turn to Mexicanal to connect with their roots.

“For me it has always been important to give different voices the opportunity to be heard. That is what motivates me the most, what makes me get up every morning so that all these voices create a better citizen, either it comes from Mexicanal, or BBC World, CNN or many of the other projects in which I have been involved, such as also MuchMusic, CityTV and even many more.”

“I think you have to view the world with a glass half full, thinking that you can do many things in the future, and that is what we do as Castalia. I have the good fortune of working with an excellent team of professionals, such as Fernando Polar, CFO of the company and developer of new businesses; my son Demián, who is another partner, my other son, Nikolai; my brother Miguel. Few have the good fortune to have been able to work with their family and do so with success. That has made us strong. I think that Castalia, as they say in Mexico, is a very familiar ‘changarrito’ where Betti Ortega is in Marketing, Bob Watson in Distribution; very recently we were able to recruit Nicolas Coates, who is coming from an excellent career at Dish.”

On Europa+ launched just last December, he noted:

“We are working with Rubén Mendiola and Pablo Corona, who are in Miami and who run Europa+, which is very important to us. It is similar to Mexicanal because it tries to bring programming that is not seen in Latin America, for the Europeans who live there – more or less a million people-, plus those who have an ethnic connection with countries like France, Italy, England, Germany. They want to remember their roots through the popular culture that is TV. We are bringing the latest, the strongest, what is seen the most in each of these countries, such as Dr. Who, from BBC Studios, ZDF programming from Germany, StudioCanal from France, Mediaset from Italy and more.”

About Mexicanal, he pointed out:

“It is cause for great satisfaction to have developed Mexicanal, because it led me to know intimately a country that today I deeply love and respect very much, which is Mexico. We are also fortunate to have an exceptional team beginning with Ana Lydia Montoya, who until two years ago was the Director of Programming for Televisa Networks: a person I have known for many years as well. The production team that is under the direction of her and the one under Demian, my son, have many achievements: the did Las cantinas más populares de México, which was also broadcast at the Smithsonian; they are in the process of developing other programs. In a pandemic, they produced El carro de mi vida under all the security measures, which talks about people who have a special relationship with cars; we are developing about three co-productions. We are on the right track. In addition, there is Tony González, the head of Operations and Production, who works closely with Demian, also Israel Reyero, who is since the beginning; Dora Elia Robledo, an excellent financier and works with Human Resources … many people who has many years with us, they are all part of the family.”

View full interview