Santiago Zapata was recently showrunner on Disney+ series Los Montaner and wrote Netflix’s La Firma
Banijay Americas’ six-month-old production outfit A Fábrica Mexico & US Hispanic has appointed producer and screenwriter Santiago Zapata as its vice president of scripted.
Zapata will oversee all scripted development and production for the Mexico City-based label, which launched in January.
He joins from Ntertain Studios/Neon16, the company founded by former Sony Music Entertainment chief exec Tommy Mottola and Lex Borrero, where he led the film & TV division out of Miami.
During his stint Zapata developed a slate of films, original series, documentaries and brand collaborations for the US and Latin American markets, striking deals with stars including Will Smith, Thalia and Big Sean.
Zapata also recently served as showrunner on the Disney+ series Los Montaner, and was writer and executive producer on Netflix’s La Firma and Paramount+’s Thalia’s Mixtape.
He is currently directing and producing a feature documentary on music mogul Tommy Mottola.
“Santiago is a storyteller at heart and brings deep creative experience as an executive, along with a forward-thinking enthusiasm as a producer,” said Luiz Noronha, president of A Fábrica Mexico & US Hispanic.
“He’s truly a breath of fresh air, with a strong foundation in both scripted and talent-driven projects. His collaborative spirit and instinctive understanding of client needs will keep us closely aligned with our partners and the stories they want to tell the world.”
Zapata added: “I’m very grateful for this opportunity to join A Fábrica at such an exciting moment. Not only for what it represents for my career, but also on a personal level, as it allows me to grow alongside a team I truly admire for their talent, experience, and above all, their integrity.”
The appointment at A Fábrica Mexico & US Hispanic, which is overseen by EndemolShine Boomdog chief exec Alejandro Rincón, follows the company’s recently revealed partnership with Leonardo Padrón to launch Leonardo Padrón Productions. Projects from that entity are expected to hit the marketplace later this year.
Ben Samek-helmed Banijay Americas rolled out A Fábrica Mexico & US Hispanic at the start of the year to house the combined operations of Endemol Shine Boomdog and A Fábrica.
The unit is led by Noronha, formerly chief executive of A Fábrica, while Endemol Shine Boomdog’s scripted team and its projects moved over to the new label. Endemol Shine Boomdog’s former head of scripted, Jerry Rodríguez, stepped down from the merged company in June.
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