(Continued on Page 14) 12 The 51st annual L.A. Screenings saw an unusual visitor: a TV crew from Canada flew to Los Angeles to shoot a documentary about the event for the CBC network, scheduled to air this coming November. The crew was not allowed on the studio lots, but it managed to capture views from the indies while it trailed reporters from VideoAge, which was recognized as the publication that, single-handedly in 1983, created the name “L.A. Screenings” (it was formerly known as the more generic “May Screenings”). Also unusual was the large number of new series that forced buyers to stay at some studios until 7 p.m. In one case, buyers were even warned that closing time was left open due to the large number of pilots to screen. For 72 indies exhibiting at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel, the L.A. Screenings started on Tuesday, May 13 and ended on Friday, May 16, when the studios—beginningwith Fox—started screening for the Latins. The studio screenings ended on Friday, May 23. The Century Plaza was the exhibition spot for all the major studios (except Fox, which was at the nearby InterContinental Hotel), but only for the Latin contingent, with hotel suites used as hospitality suites or as negotiation offices. The only mini-major actively screening outside the hotel was eOne — which booked meetings at their Beverly Hills offices (and threw a party on May 19) —while Lionsgate, Starz and Viacom all took hotel suites. In addition, Lionsgate organized general screenings for seven straight days at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. In terms of after-screenings entertainment, this year the indies surpassed the studios. Disney was the only one that staged a mega-party (on Sunday), while the indies threw a total of five events, starting on Wednesday, May 14 with the opening party by Cisneros, followed on Thursday by Caracol, then on Saturday by Telefilms, on Monday by eOne and on Wednesday by the market DISCOP Africa. On the other hand, KOCCA, the umbrella marketing organization of South Korea, organized a luncheon at the Century Plaza to promote series from four companies to Latin buyers. Many first-time indie exhibitors set up shop at the Century Plaza to meet with Latin buyers, who tend to stay either there or at the InterContinental. Among the newcomers were 9 Story Entertainment, Armoza Formats, Canal 13 SudMedia, ITV Inter Medya, KM Services, KOCCA and Tricon Films & Television. Exhibitors came from 18 countries, including Israel, Turkey, Canada and the U.K., in addition to all of Latin America’s producing countries. To help buyers cope with the sub-arctic temperatures in the screening rooms, this year NBCUniversal joined Sony Pictures in providing blankets. Among the studios and mini-majors, such as Lionsgate, buyers were introduced to over 115 new shows. “Eventizing” A New U.S. TV Season With Lots of New Series That Travel Int’lly June/July 2014 L.A. Screenings Disney Media Distribution Latin America’s Fernando Barbosa withVideoAge’s Dom Serafini ITV Inter Medya’s Beatriz Cea Esteruelas, Annabelle Aramburu A co-production between Telemundo Internacional and TVN Chile for the seriesDueños del Paraisowill be broadcast in the U.S. and Chile. Telemundo will license the series internationally. Pictured l. to. r.: TVN’s Ernesto Lombardi, Mauro Valdés Raczynski At Caracol’s L.A. Screenings party: Caracol’s Karen Juliao, Alejandro Toro, Marcela Montoya, Monica Ramon, Maria Estrella
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