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In their continued bid to lock up leading talent for their fledgling TV development-production partnership, Endeavor Content and Exile have signed a first look series deal with lauded Mexican writer-director Alejandra Marquez Abella (“Las Niñas Bien”).

The alliance recently announced first look pacts with Sebastian Hofmann, “Roma” producer Nicolas Celis and Mauricio Katz’s shingle Subtrama.

Marquez Abella’s first project is the scripted dramedy series “La Liberación,” which follows a group of estranged female entertainment industry professionals who realize they need to resolve their differences in order to better face the future together.

“We as women have been condemned to ‘divide and conquer,’ to live clashing with each other,” said Marquez Abella. “Now we’re looking at each other and we’re learning that we don’t have to fight for a spot, that we all can co-exist and thrive together in this world.”

“La Liberación” stars “Los Espookys’” Cassandra Ciangherotti,...

Careyes, Mexico, a strip of bohemian, palm tree-laden paradise perched along a remote strip of the Pacific coast, is the sort of place creative types dream about, with balmy ocean breezes, bright blue skies and a network of surrounding villages lined with cobblestone walkways and the sound of tropical birds chirping overhead. Arte Careyes, a film and arts festival designed to blend in with the area’s emphasis on nature, ecotourism and a laid-back Latin American vibe, kicks off its 9th year March 20-24, luring a crowd of some 250 filmmakers, photographers and musicians with a desire to slow things down and luxuriate in the town’s unique mystical and awe-inspiring qualities.

“Arte Careyes is a celebration of Mexico and that is always what has been for us the most important thing,” says fest founder Fillipo Brignone, whose father, Italian banker Gian Franco Brignone, spotted Careyes while flying overhead in 1968 and...

Kicking off its 5th year, the Careyes Creation Lab, an offshoot of the Arte Careyes Film Festival, is set to run March 18-22, providing an immersive workshop experience in which a select group of rising Mexican filmmakers are guided by renowned mentors in exercises designed to hone and shape their craft.

This year’s mentors, Oscar-nominated director Jean-Marc Vallee (“Dallas Buyers Club”) and Emmy-winning director Joan Darling (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”), will tutor a slate of participants including directors Joaquín del Paso (“Maquinaria Panamericana”), Marcelo Tobar (“Oso Polar”) and Cristina Gallego (“Birds of Passage”) and actors Hoze Meléndez, Verónica Toussaint, Osvaldo Benavides and Johanna Murillo. All directors have films screening in Arte Careyes, which dovetails with the lab, taking place March 20-24. Past mentors of the lab have included John Cooper, Jim Stark, Darling and Pavel Pawlikowski.

Taking place in a private home in Careyes, Mexico, the lab is...

The 17th Marrakech International Film Festival (Nov 30 – Dec 08) has set a jury comprising Suspiria star Dakota Johnson, Indian actress Ileana D’Cruz (Barfi!), Lebanese filmmaker and visual artist Joana Hadjithomas (I Want To See), Brit director Lynne Ramsay (We Need To Talk About Kevin), Moroccan director Tala Hadid (House In The Fields), French director Laurent Cantet (The Class), German actor Daniel Brühl (Rush) and Mexican director Michel Franco (April’s Daughter). As previously revealed, director James Gray will serve as jury president.

A total of 80 films will unspool at the festival, with Julian Schnabel’s Van Gogh biopic At Eternity’s Gate among gala screenings and also the festival’s opener. Other galas include Roma, Green Book and Capernaum while special screenings include Wildlife, Her Smell and Birds Of Passage. The official competition, galas and special screenings are listed below.

The festival will also feature tributes to Robert DeNiro, Robin Wright,...

The first Fenix Iberoamerican Film Awards, highlighting and celebrating cinema made in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal as well as applauding the professionals involved was inaugurated by Cinema23 this October 30 and held its closing night party in México City's Jumex Museum, named after the Lopez family’s fruit juice empire, and commissioned by Eugenio Lopez, the dynastic scion whose intention is to leave an edifice to Mexico City that dignifies his family name. This 21st-century prince is the sole patron of the new Museo Jumex, Latin America’s largest contemporary art museum, designed by the British architect David Chipperfield and just across the street from hourglass-shaped Museo Soumaya, opened in 2011 by the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú to display his own collection. Worth a trip to Mexico alone just to view the private Jumex collection of Mexican art, to attend the spectacular closing night party topping off the new annual, independent award ceremony which took place at the iconic 1918 Teatro de la Ciudad was an experience of a lifetime.

After an exclusive dinner for the nominees around 11 Pm, the great celebration began. Inspired by Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, one of the most important holidays in Mexico, the party was decorated with elements inspired by this tradition such as "papel picado," and walls decorated with skulls. The vibrant orange color of hundreds of cempasúchil flowers (Marigolds) adorned the hall where more than a thousand guests, among them many film professional, singers and other important figures from across Iberoamerica, attended the celebration organized by Grupo Modelo the brewery in Mexico now owned by the Belgian-Brazilian company Anheuser-Busch InBev, which holds 63% of the Mexican beer market and exports beer to most countries of the world, whose export brands include my own favorite beers, Corona and Pacífico. I was proud to be invited to attend and to be part of the advisory council of Cinema23, founder of this annual Fenix Awards celebration of the art of cinema along with the comcomitant commercial success of Iberoamerican cinema.

Attending the awards and the post-award party were actors such as Alice Braga, Ana de la Reguera, Ana Claudia Talancón, Alfonso Herrera, Bárbara Mori, Brandon López, Camila Selser, Cecilia Suárez, Elena Anaya, Ernesto Alterio, Erick Elías, Ilse Salas, Irene Azuela, Johanna Murillo, José María Yazpik, José María and Pedro de Tavira, Juan Manuel Bernal, Karen Martínez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Maribel Verdú, Martha Higareda, Maya Zapata and Ximena Ayala; filmmakers Fernando Eimbcke, Gary Alazraki, Jonás Cuarón, Lorenzo Hagerman, Manolo Caro, Natalia Beristáin and Rigoberto Perezcano; musicians Leo Heiblum, Kevin Johansen, León Larregui and Sergio Acosta from rock band Zoé and Leonor Watling, Jesús Navarro, vocalist of pop band Reik; socialites as Rafael Micha, Jorge Gorozpe, Memo Martínez and Max Villegas; fashion designer Oscar Madrazo and jewelry designer Mariana Villarea. They and the other attendees enjoyed a night in which cinema was the most important guest.

In the venue's lower level, Sonido Apokalitzin's beats enhanced the experience with cumbias, salsas and iconic songs from several Iberoamerican countries. Monterrey DJ Toy Selectah also entertained the guests with his musical selection. Upstairs, Sergio and Andres from famous rock band Zoé delighted everyone with their music just before they enjoyed Julian Placencia's DJ set.

With this event the first edition of the Fenix Iberoamerican Film Awards came to an end. The event brought together hundreds of figures from the Iberoamerican film community who celebrated the well-deserved recognition to their work and dedication. At the same time the event served to strengthen relationships among the diverse industries and will continuously help forge the region's identity.

The Spanish language film Espectro has been picked up by sales agent Darclight Films. This film, from Mexico, might be distributed in other parts of North America later this year. The film is from director Alfonso Pineda Ulloa (Restos). And the film stars Alfonso Herrera ("El Capo"), Gala Montes and Johanna Murillo. The film has already released in Mexico and international horror fans can preview the film here. The film's story begins with Marta (Montes). She is a gifted psychic, forced into seclusion after a traumatic incident. Marta fear hers attacker, Mario (Herrera), will find her again and she seeks shelter in an asylum. Crazy neighbours, spirits and other terrors haunt Marta upon her return to the outside world. A trailer for Espectro was released earlier this year. The clip includes lots of jarring imagery and a few surprises along the way. Fans of obscure horror are encouraged to take a look below.