Videoage International November 2021

16 V I D E O A G E November 2021 A head of MIP Cancun, VideoAge sampled eight LATAM buyers (or eight percent of the number of expected acquisition execs) from six countries to ascertain the kind of content they’ll be looking for at the market, which will be held November 16-19, 2021, and their general opinions. (Three of the buyers were featured in the online Water Cooler.) Below are the comments from buyers who hail from Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay. Marianne de Castro, director of Acquisitions at Brazil’s Bandeirantes, will be looking for tele- novelas, series, docs, animation, and movies, and she said, “I’ll be looking for high-quality content, no matter what it is.” As for the main attraction of MIP Cancun, for de Castro it’s “being able to hold numerous meetings in a few days and stay on top of all the launches on the market.” When asked whether she preferred virtual or in-person markets, she responded that “in-person events are always better. Online events have the time zone issue and are susceptible to technical problems.” Eduardo A. Nava y Mata, program director for Mexico’s Canal 22, said that as a cultural channel, “we’re looking for documentaries (nature, science, history, art, travel), as well as fiction miniseries and films.” And, he continued, “We’re open to finding any good, intelligent, and well- produced content from any other countries.” For Nava y Mata, “the main attraction of MIP Cancun is that you can meet all the distributors in person, and it is very important to spend a few days together in order to get to know each other better — more than as distributors-clients. The relationship has to be strong to be good partners — in business and as friends.” Despite his joy at being back in person, Nava y Mata has also been pleased with all the virtual markets of the recent past. “I had good experiences with virtual markets, but I prefer in- person events.” Cecilia Presto, head of Acquisitions for Uru- guay’s Canal 10, sent the following statement: “I am very excited to see my colleagues again face to face after 22 long months. We will be looking for non-scripted formats, family-oriented (entertainment, reality, talent, quiz shows, etc.), superseries, and telenovelas. We are more interested in good stories and strong characters than its origin, so both LATAM and the rest of the world are [good] options.” She continued: “I always liked MIP Cancun’s ef- ficiency as a market and the different networking opportunities it offers. During its first editions, when the market size allowed it, we had some unforgettable experiences, and hopefully we will have them again.” Finally, she said, “If all necessary precautions have been taken (in terms of COVID protocols) I will always prefer an in-person event.” Also from Uruguay, Carolina Guadalupe from the Programming and Acquisition Department at Canal 5 said, “We are looking for movies for our weekly slot. Especially feature films that won awards at festivals. We have a space for films that had been nominated or have obtained an Oscar, also. In addition, we want to find fiction series with interesting plots, stories and characters with depth. Nordic noir is one of the genres we are interested in. Concerts, biographies, travel content, science, and art are also interesting ele- ments for our audience. Programs can come from LATAM and other territories.” As for the market’s attributes, she commended “the format of the event and the productive meetings” that allow her to find “lots of content.” Like most buyers, Guadalupe prefers face-to-face events. “Virtual markets work,” she said. “But in- person has more favorable characteristics.” Neil Maman, senior content acquisitions manager for U.S. Amazon Prime Video Latin America, will be looking for “local content (series, movies, sports) for Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and the U.S., both from LATAM and other regions.” To Maman, MIP Cancun’s main attraction “is the network and one-on-one sessions with potential partners.” As for virtual markets, he said that he’s “indifferent, yet in-person makes us commit more.” Q&A With Cancun-Bound Content Acquisition Executives MIP Cancun Preview Marianne de Castro of Brazil’s Bandeirantes Neil Maman of Amazon Prime Video Carolina Guadalupe of Uruguay’s Canal 5 Eduardo A. Nava y Mata of Mexico’s Canal 22 Cecilia Presto of Uruguay’s Canal 10