Home Media Magazine - February 10-16, 2008 - (Page 16) Edited by Angelique Flores www.homemediamagazine.com Well Go to Distribute Oxxo Films By Angelique Flores ell Go USA has sealed an exclusive distribution partnership with Latino content supplier Oxxo Films. The deal includes distribution in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Well Go has distributed Latin product before. However, this is the first time the company has moved into this market on this large of a scale. “Oxxo had one of the higher profile libraries available to work a distribution deal,” said Tony Vandeveerdonk, VP of sales and operations for Well Go. “There’s a lot of room for BRIEFS I DISH LAUNCHES HISTORY CHANNEL EN ESPAÑOL Dish Network has launched The History Channel en Español, which is now available on their Dish Latino platform. They are the first national provider to offer this service. The History Channel en Español delivers programming that focuses on Latino history and culture. New subscribers who sign up for a Dish Latino package will receive a DVD featuring two soccer series as an incentive. W growth in the [Latin] category, and there are not a lot of DVD categories that you can say that about.” The announcement of the deal comes on the heels of the largest DVD release quarter for the company. This year the company plans to aggressively grow and position itself in the marketplace to release Latin features, including theatrical films. Vandeveerdonk said the company will seek out further distribution partnerships with Latino content suppliers. The first titles will street April 1 (prebook Feb. 26). Well Go will distribute four-film sets under the “Collección Platino Presenta” line. Lo Mejor de Pistoleros, Lo Mejor de Sexy Comedias and Lo Mejor de Bandoleros: Cholos y Vatos Locos each will street on DVD for $14.98. Also in the same line are Las Nuevas Sexy Comedias From Charly Valentino ($16.98), with three new films from Valentino, and Confesiones Intimatas de Mujeres Latinas ($14.98), featuring two feature films. “By combining Well Go’s mass retail experience with Oxxo’s production capabilities in Mexico as well as our close ties to the film communities in Los Angeles, Mexico City, Tijuana and Guadalajara, we have a great formula in place,” Vandeveerdonk said. I LATINO BROADBAND NETWORK DEBUTS Generation ñ has launched www.generation-n.com, a Latino broadband network that will cater to an audience that seeks videos that feature bilingual, bicultural Latinos. The site will present brief programming selections and half-hour shows. Generation ñ also will feature “ñ indies,” where independent feature films are available for download and for sale on DVD. KIE Films, Roughworks Entertainment and HD content purveyor rumbleGiant are among the featured content producers. Laguna Acquires Two 3-D Films From Peruvian Animation House Alpamayo By Angelique Flores aguna Productions has made more strides in diversifying its catalog. The latest addition comes from Peruvian animation house Alpamayo Entertainment. Laguna will release on DVD Pirates March 18 (prebook Feb. 19) and Dragons April 8 (prebook March 7). Each title will be priced at $14.95. These are the first 3-D animated features made in Peru, said Monica Ricardez, Laguna’s director of business and market development. Laguna has translated the films into English and recorded English-language voiceovers to reach a wider audience from the younger Latino generation, which may not speak Span- L ish as a primary language, to the non-Spanish-speaking cross market, Ricardez said. Laguna has brought these films to the United States for international distribution and will market them primarily as English-language films to make them more attractive in the U.S. market. While the stories of each of the films are universal, Pirates has a Peruvian flavor in that it addresses a historical event in Peruvian history. “These are great animated feature films that represent the diversification of our catalog,” Ricardez said. “They are proof of the talent and quality of Latin animators outside of the United States.” The DVDs will contain both the new English-language track as well as the Spanishlanguage tracks from the original productions. The original films Dragones: Destino de Fuego (2006) and Piratas en al Callao (2005) had limited theatrical releases in Mexico, South America and Central America. Piratas also screened at Chicago’s International Children’s Film Festival and garnered an estimated $500,000 at the box office. The two films are the first animated films that Laguna will distribute, and the company expects they will appeal not only to kids, but also to the entire family. Laguna’s acquisition of these films demonstrates the company’s expansion of its catalog in an effort to cater to a diverse Latino market. The company has acquired more films targeted at younger Latino audiences, from children to young adults, as well as more family-friendly fare. Such releases include the novelas “Las Juanas” and “Como en el Cine” as well as the films Cielo and La Sorpresa, which feature young, contemporary Mexican actors. I ENGLISH FAVORED ONLINE According to research from Sí TV, the Hispanic population that browses the Web favors content in English. The “Young Latinos Online” report, directed by ComScore, found that 52% of the online Hispanic population prefers English-language material, 22% prefer Spanish and 27% prefer both. ComScore observed that entertainment, conversational media and social-networking sites are the most prominent with Hispanics. It also was discovered that the Internet is a huge influence on Hispanic buying habits. I ‘NY TIMES’ NEWS SERVICE AND V-ME COLLABORATE The New York Times News Service and V-me, the nation’s largest Spanish digital network, have joined to create “Paginas del New York Times.” The new weekly program will introduce The Times’ news content to Hispanic TV and will feature stories that comprise global politics, lifestyle, economics, culture and entertainment from a U.S. Hispanic angle. The program, hosted by journalist Marian de la Fuente, will debut March 1. I MEGA TV IN PUERTO RICO Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. has signed an exclusive contract with DirecTV to air Mega TV programming in Puerto Rico. The channel will broadcast only on DirecTV and will offer original programming. Mega TV will be available to all DirecTV customers at no additional cost. – Ruby Cardenas 16 Home Media Magazine February 10–16, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
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