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indiantelevision.com Team
MUMBAI: Lionsgate and Hispanic media company Televisa have agreed on terms for a long term programming and development venture to create English language television content for US broadcast and cable networks, it was announced by Lionsgate co-chairman, CEO Jon Feltheimer and Televisa president, CExO Emilio Azcarraga.
The alliance represents another expansion of Lionsgate and Televisa?s longstanding partnership and complements the two companies? film joint venture, Pantelion Films, launched in 2010 to acquire and distribute feature films for the Hispanic market in the US.
The new television partnership will include the development of scripted and unscripted English language original programming as well as format adaptations from Televisa?s vast library of thousands of titles, including telenovelas to be produced in English. It includes a development fund designed to attract quality talent to approximately six to eight projects a year.
Several projects are already in the pipeline, including: ?From Prada To Nada?, Pantelion?s debut film which is being developed as a comedy TV series; ?Badlands?, a scripted drama at ABC in partnership with ABC Studios based on Televisa?s Soy Tu Duena, a successful telenovela; ?Terminales? for ABC Family; and ?Teresa?, based on Televisa telenovela.
Feltheimer said, "Televisa is one of the greatest programming forces in the world, and they have consistently shown the ability not only to serve Latino audiences but to reach viewers around the world with exciting, entertaining and compelling content. I?ve known Emilio Azcarraga and Pepe Baston for many years, and I?m delighted to extend our Pantelion Films relationship into the U.S. television market as well."
The new venture would focus on programming with a Latin feel and US appeal.
Lionsgate and Televisa have also joined forces to identify original and exciting creative voices that will resonate with the hip young audience in the US and will support the companies? film and TV partnerships. They have created the Lionsgate and Televisa Fund For Student Support at the USC School of Cinematic Arts to "support, encourage and educate new voices" by providing assistance to underrepresented minority students studying screenwriting and TV and film production at USC. The fund will provide tuition assistance and an internship opportunity at Pantelion Films to two USC graduate students a year for the next three years.
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