The two-day event kicked off today at its new location, the historic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, and with several major co-production announcements and new titles.

*By Luis Cabrera, from Los Angeles, California

A new edition of LA Screenings Independents is taking place today and tomorrow at a new venue, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where the industry gathers for this invaluable opportunity for face-to-face networking and negotiation.

The event began at a slow pace, but gained momentum as the hours went by, although it was not without its setbacks, as in this edition is the presence of only one elevator -plus one service elevator- in operation, making it difficult to move between the different suites.

Even so, distributors who arrived with their agendas packed are satisfied with the dynamic of meetings scheduled for these two days, with a good number of key meetings, always supported by a Los Angeles that encourages people to extend their stay to continue with appointments outside of the event days.

CO-PRODUCTION IS THE WAY

As has been the case for years, co-production partnerships have become as attractive as they are necessary, so it’s no surprise that two of the first announcements at the event were the partnership between Globo and Telemundo, and the one between Inter Medya and Zebra Producciones.

Regarding new content, TIS Studios shared its big news, the distribution of Colombian series Cosiaca. “Teleantioquia chose us as the distributor of the series, and we’re sure it will be on the platforms and will travel very well,” said Alejandro Toro, VP of Sales & Business Strategy at TIS Studios. “Hopefully, some of Colombia’s broadcast TV channels will also choose it.”

Dori Media Group took advantage of LASI 2025 to launch the new original series Young Suchard, which follows the early life of sensational international mentalist Lior Suchard, to the global market. “Young Suchard is a fiction format that will have 20 episodes and will air on Kan 11 in Israel,” explained Nadav Palti, CEO of Dori Media, who also highlighted another recent launch, The Auction, an entertainment format produced with Abot Hameiri, in collaboration with América Televisión, Kapow and Open Kimono.

Another company introducing its freshest content is Seriella, which brought Queen of Persia to the market, a shorter series than the Brazilian production company is used to, but with the same quality as its predecessors. “I think the content market has changed a lot in the last two years. Big series are now a little harder for audiences to follow. Today, they prefer shorter series, with 20, 30, 40, or 50 episodes,” explained Natan Oletto, International Sales Assistant at Seriella.

THE BEST OF TURKEY

In regards to trends, Turkish content continues to grow, and distributors in the European country are bringing the season’s biggest hits to Latin American buyers.

This is the case of ATV Distribution, with its huge hit, The Nightfall, which continues to conquer screens in the international market. “It’s growing and finding new channels every day, and we’re still in the first season of this title, which is still airing in Turkey. We’re very happy with The Nightfall; it’s been one of our highlights of the season,” said Muge Akar, Sales Director of ATV Distribution.

Kanal D International also announced that its leading series, Secret of Pearls, will return for a third season; while Mistco celebrated the success of its dramas Town Doctor, which just wrapped in Peru with strong results, and Innocents, which is preparing to premiere in six Latin American countries.

Inter Medya, meanwhile, has a major new title, Eshref Ruya, whose success on social media gives it confidence in its international reach: “We’re very happy with this drama because the ratings are a resounding success, and most importantly, it’s number one on social media in Turkey and worldwide,” said Beatriz Cea Okan, VP and Director of Sales and Acquisitions at Inter Medya.

OGM Universe also brought to the market a great premiere, The Fall of the King: “The Fall of the King has an incredible performance, every Tuesday, in Turkey,” explained Mikaela Perez, Sales Director for Latin America, USA and Iberia of the Turkish distributor. “It has been one of the most anticipated series given that we have Halit Ergenç star of 1001 Nights and The Sultan; a super-loved actor in the region.”

Tomorrow, the 2025 LA Independent Screenings will close its doors with a second and final day in the heart of Hollywood.