RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The 2026 version of Rio2C, the biggest creativity gathering in Latin America, seems to be set to consolidate the occasion as a high worldwide assembly, notably of abilities and execs from Spanish-speaking nations within the area, mentioned Rafael Lazarini, Rio2C’s founder.
Organizers anticipate the seventh in-person version of the occasion, which is able to happen over Might 27-31 interval, to interrupt final 12 months’s document attendance of 55,000 folks and a pair of,088 audio system and gamers from 39 nations.
Brazil is the biggest and most populous nation in Latin America however the one Portuguese-speaking one. But traditionally there may be an inadequate integration between its inventive business and people in surrounding Spanish-speaking nations.
“Rio2C has significantly expanded its overall international presence this year,” Lazarini mentioned. “We have particularly worked to break down the wall between Brazil and our Spanish-speaking neighbors, bringing creators and executives from Latin America. This 2026 edition consolidates Rio2C as the major gathering of the creative audiovisual industries of Latin American countries.”
Lazarini harassed the power of the inventive sector in Spanish-speaking Latin American nations, seen in award-winning movies from Argentina and the worldwide presence of Colombian music.
Argentine L.A.-based producer Axel Kuschevatzky, CCO and founding father of manufacturing firm Infinity Hill, will converse on the Rio2C’s panel Artistic Manufacturing to Conquer Relevance and Viewers.
He has contributed to over 100 movies prior to now 16 years, together with Oscar-winner “The Secret in Their Eyes,” Golden Globe-winner “Argentina, 1985,” Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winner “Wild Tales,” Golden Globe-nominated “Neruda,” Cannes Critics’ Week-winner “Paulina” and Venice Silver Lion-winner “The Clan.”
“Rio 2C is basically the premium creative industry event in the Latin American whole region. It’s huge in both scale and the kind of people and things you can find there,” Kuschevatzky mentioned.
“Usually you have forums that are focused on one single thing. In Rio2C, there is such a wide array of different industries at the same time. It’s frankly mind-blowing. You can find music, video games, commercials, features and TV, you have everything.”
Kuschevatzky previously labored for Viacom and Telefónica, and has collaborated with famend filmmakers and actors, comparable to Juan José Campanella, Álex de la Iglesia, Pablo Larraín, Pedro Almodóvar, Gael García Bernal, Antonio Banderas, Viggo Mortensen and Ricardo Darín.
Kuschevatzky’s Infinity Hill, he mentioned, produces recurrently about six function movies per 12 months, in English, Spanish and different languages, normally worldwide co-productions. They’re at present engaged on two movie initiatives in Brazil: Barbara Paz’s debut fiction function “Cuddle,” with the just-announced Fernanda Torres and William Dafoe. The Conspiração manufacturing additionally stars Selton Mello (Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here,” Tom Gormican’s “Anaconda”).
“In Argentina, as odd as it may seem, I grew up watching Brazilian films. The world is now discovering the Brazilian cinema, thanks to ‘I’m Still Here’ and ‘The Secret Agent,’ but it has been great since the early days of sound,” mentioned Kuschevatzky, who is especially keen on Brazilian director and producer Alberto Cavalcanti (1897-1982).
“I’ll tell you, this is my third year in a row in Rio2C, and the last two times, I came back with projects,” he added.
Rio2C 2026 will function an intensive program with necessary worldwide abilities and business audio system.
Panelists embody Argentine Daniel Burman, introduced head of authentic content material Disney+ Latam this February and creator of collection “Yosi, the Regretful Spy” and most not too long ago “So Far So Good.” Additionally set to speak is Uruguayan musician Jorge Drexler, the winner of the 2005 Oscar for authentic track for “Al Otro Lado del Río” from the movie “The Motorcycle Diaries.”
Argentine Gastón Gorali, producer and author of the brand new animated adaptation of “Mafalda” for Netflix, and Brazilian Daniel Rezende, director of movies comparable to “Turma da Mônica: Laços” and an Oscar nominee for his work as a movie editor, will focus on the challenges of adapting basic Latin American comedian books for modern audiovisual media, balancing constancy, up to date language, and dialogue with new platforms.
American Adam Chase, government producer and author of “Friends,” and Brazilian comic Fábio Porchat, of Porta dos Fundos, can be collectively within the panel “Universal Comedy Labs,” debating the bounds of humor within the age of social media and its circulation throughout cultures.
Spaniard Javier Gómez Santander, government producer and a key author on “Money Heist” (“La Casa de Papel”), will tackle the creation of high-tension narratives and characters which have turn out to be world icons.
Francisco Ramos, Netflix’s VP of content material for Latin America, will lecture on the panel From Latin America to the World: The New Audiovisual Cartography. He’ll focus on how Latin America is experiencing a second of prominence within the world audiovisual panorama and deeply native tales are crossing borders and changing into worldwide cultural phenomena.
Arturo Chavez, managing associate at Delart Distribution, an organization specialised in content material distribution throughout the U.S, Canada, Puerto Rico, Latin America and Spain, will discuss on the panel How one can Outline the Superb Distribution Technique.
Pablo Iraola, a producer at Portugal’s Ukbar Filmes, Rodrigo Olaio, government producer at Chatrone, and Ana Saito, government producer at Gullane, will focus on methods to make world initiatives viable and to develop the worldwide circulation of content material within the panel Worldwide Co-Manufacturing: How one can Construct the Superb Partnership.
“We used to be isolated here, in our own corner in Brazil, due to the language barrier and even a lack of willingness to integrate. But the integration with the creative industries of other Latin American countries has been gaining traction with Rio2C,” mentioned Lazarini.
