MEXICO CITY – Mundial, the sales venture of Stuart Ford’s IM Global and Mexico and L.A.–based Canana – headed by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna and Pablo Cruz – has closed an exclusive sales pact with Monica Lozano, one of the most important producers in Mexico and indeed Latin America.
Based since 2008 out of Mexico City’s Alebrije Cine y Video, Lozano’s production credits include Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu’s debut “Amores Perros” and Eurgdenio Derbez’s “Instructions Not Included,” a title that, with Gaz Alazraki’s “The Noble Family,” consolidated a double market for Mexican films in the U.S. and Mexico.
“Instructions” proved the highest-grossing Mexican film in Mexico, with a $46.1 million trawl, and the biggest Spanish-language hit ever in the U.S. punching $44.5 million.
Mundial and Alebrije will co-rep the films in the U.S. and Latin America; Mundial will be the exclusive sales agent in the rest of the world.
It is indicative of Lozano’s range that current production plans take in a Brazilian “Instructions” remake, Antonio Chavarrias “The Chosen,” a historical thriller about Trotsky’s assassin, and “Plaza de la Soledad,” a docu-feature about the denizens of Mexico’s prostitute quarter which co-won the Morelia Fest’s Impulso Morelia last week. Other well-known titles include “Nicotina” and “Voces Inocentes,” from Luis Mandoki.
Mundial VP Cristina Garza and IM Global’s SVP of international development and operations David Jourdan negotiated the deal on behalf of Mundial, with Lozano brokering the deal on her own behalf and for Alebrije.
The Mundial-Alebrije pact follows on an exclusive sales deal for the Spanish-language films of Alex Garcia’s AG Studios, plus select English-language buys. Mundial has also worked with Brazilian producer Gullane Films, “A Wolf at the Door” proving one of Mundial’s bestsellers.
Before setting up Alebrije, Lozano worked at AltaVista Films, helping to turn it into one of the hottest film production companies in Latin America by the turn of the century.
Mundial Films sales slate mixes some of the biggest titles to come out of Latin America, such as Edgar Ramirez starrer “Libertador,” films targeting the U.S. Hispanic market and beyond, such as Diego Luna directed “Chavez,” and debuts: Mexican Alfonso Ruizpalacios’ “Gueros,” for example. Upcoming titles include “Mr. Pig,” Diego Luna’s second English-language film as a director, scheduled for release in 2016.
