Ventana Sur: Paola Suárez Sets up Jaque Content Mexico (EXCLUSIVE)
BUENOS AIRES — In an inspired strategic move, Argentine producer Paola Suárez has opened offices in Mexico, creating Jaque Content México, the Mexico City-located arm of Suárez’s production house Jaque Content Argentina, based in Argentina second city Córdoba.
The news comes as Argentina and U.S-based GlowStar has acquired international rights on Jaque Content series “Public Relations,”the first Argentina-Brazil co-production, which will be ready for delivery in March.
The Mexican offices are headed by Suárez associate Marcos Mion. First up in terms of production is “Never Alone,” a horror movie directed by Alfredo Ybarra, in which Jacque Content has a minority participation.
A psychological thriller with a “dark, dramatic narrative,” Suerez said, “Never Alone” turns on a psychiatrist who returns to work after many years absence following the suicide of one of her patients, to take on the case of a man accused of pedophilia.
An official Argentina-Mexico co-production, “Never Alone” is lead-produced by Marco Antonio Salgado’s production coalition Cinema 226. It is produced by Sam Guillén (“El Año de la Plaga”), Salgado (“Feral,” “El Muglúr”) and Suárez.
The launch of Jaque Content Mexico puts Jacque Content in an enviable position in which it can ring the changes on multiple production options.
With 20 projects in development – six movies, 14 series, mostly fiction but some documentaries – playing off Córdoba’s development hub, Jacque Content Mexico is looking to produce movies. Some could take place in Mexico. “Our contents are conceived as international and then we shoot in the country which offers the best conditions,” Suárez said.
Jaque Content Mexico may co-produce with other Mexican companies. “Our idea of creating a subsidiary in Mexico is not that we will never work with Mexican companies again there. Quite the contrary: We’d love to work a lot with Mexican companies, bringing to the table our funds, production capacity, knowhow and their expertise and know-how,” Suárez said.
Or Jacque Content Argentina can leverage the plunge of the Argentine peso, Cordoba’s locations and its regional film funds to attract productions to the city, studios and hillier hinterlands, either as co-productions or by handling physical productions. The launch of Netflix, and now Amazon Prime Video and YouTube Premium Mexico has revolutionized production in Mexico – escalating production volume, now straining at full production capacity, and leaving it begging for stories, technicians and screenwriters from outside the country. Until Mexico trains a new generation of above and below the line talent, some of that strain will have to be taken up by foreign companies.
Córdoba’s mountain ranges – vertical enough, but near to the city – are attractions for productions from low-lying, flat Buenos Aires.
“Our growth strategy is the creation of content and the co-creation, co-production and co-financing with producers in other countries with OTT platforms,” Suárez said.
Jaque Content Argentina is also now shooting its fifth feature “Azul el Mar,” the first film of Argentina’s Sabrina Moreno. The former labels for Suárez’s film-TV production outfit, Germina Films, and Jaque Productora, a commercials production house, are no longer in usage.
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