U.S. HISPANIC
Hemisphere: Cinelatino reaches 30 years celebrating the creative and innovative Latin cinema industry
Maribel Ramos-Weiner| 18 de octubre de 2023
Jim McNamara de Hemisphere
Cinelatino, owned by Hemisphere Media Group, was launched on October 12, 1993, in Mexico and a few years later arrived in the US.
“It is a channel created having in mind to celebrate everything regarding cinema in our language; cinema that connects with our roots and celebrates worldwide a great creative and innovative industry such as Latin cinema. I can’t take all the credit; the channel mirrors the creatives in front of and behind the camera from the US to Punta del Este and even Spain. And we have also taken the license to introduce other non-Latino original films which connect with the Latin public. I feel proud and satisfied in working hard on this, in my case, for more than 15 years,” said Jim McNamara, Vice Chairman of Hemisphere Media Group, who recalled that Cinelatino was one of the first Spanish-language film channels to join the Latin packages from US pay-TV operators.
For McNamara, the channel’s history is very similar to many companies in the entertainment business. MVS Mexico founded Cinelatino, and afterward, Hemisphere and McNamara bought 52% of the shares. Later, when Hemisphere became a publicly traded company, MVS, Searchlight, and McNamara converted Cinelatino shares into shares of the parent company Hemisphere. “Today, Hemisphere, which is part of Searchlight Capital Partners, owns 100% of the company.”
McNamara noted that Cinelatino, in addition to original, acquired, and licensed films, a few years ago ventured into acquired and original series such as El Desconocido, Tiempo Final (the Colombian version), Cuentos de Sexo de Gente Común (Argentina), and the Mexican Estado de Gracia, “which worked very well.” However, currently, they are focused on movies.
“We are developing and producing, looking for how to package mostly movies -TV movies-. These years, we have experimented with sexy thrillers, romantic comedies, suspense and, two months ago, we finished a film commissioned by a streamer and will share it with Cinelatino,” he revealed.
He explained that it is a pilot project for a series of films that could even become a series if the platform requests it. Filmed in Mexico, it is the story of a police officer and his assistant, where both have a sentimental attraction pending in the stories. It stars Pepe Gamez and Pía Sanz, with a cast that includes Ivonne Montero and others.
“It is the story of a boy from Mexico who arrived illegally in the US and, after fixing his situation in the country, he applied to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). After 20 years in the force and 40 years old, he retired. He has a painful past because his wife was murdered by a bandit in the street. The mayor of his hometown in Baja California invites him to become the new police chief, and although reluctant, he accepts. On the first day of work, he must deal with the murder of Octavio Machado, the town’s boss,” said McNamara, adding that they already produced the first of four scripts. “We are waiting to see how the platform reacts to decide if we make a one-hour series or a series of films.”
“On behalf of all those who worked and are working at Cinelatino, from Mexico to here in Miami, and wherever they are now, I can say we all carry in a very special place our Cinelatino that today reaches its 30 years,” he concluded.
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