On Thursday, April 23, Guatemalan producer and editor Gustavo Matheu revealed that he was one of the winners of a scholarship to continue his international training in the film industry.
“I received this opportunity at a very precise moment in my career. I come from a very active practice in film production, where I have had the privilege of accompanying projects with an international scope, but also with the clarity that the next step is to strengthen the strategic dimension of the business,” said Matheu.
The national producer has participated in productions such as Tremors, Rita and The Llorona, the latter internationally recognized for its tour in festivals such as Venice and his nomination for the Golden Globes in 2021, which made it the first Central American film to achieve this.
Matheu is a Guatemalan film producer and editor who currently lives in Guadalajara, Mexico and his work has been characterized by the development of auteur cinema with a social focus and the construction of international co-productions, mainly between Latin America and Europe.
Within the framework of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG), whose cultural and cinematographic event is of great relevance for that city and the country, as it is one of the most important showcases for the appreciation, dissemination, promotion and distribution of Mexican and Ibero-American cinema, Matheu obtained a scholarship to study Film Business at ESCAC, which is aimed at professionals with experience seeking to strengthen their strategic capabilities within the audiovisual industry.
The Film Business scholarship from the Higher School of Cinema and Audiovisuals of Catalonia (ESCAC), is awarded in collaboration with the FICG and has a program, focused on areas such as distribution, audiences, business models and international circulation of content, seeking to form profiles capable of adapting to the current challenges of the global market, with a practical approach and directly connected to the European industry.
Matheu, who has participated in important industry and training spaces, and who currently develops projects that connect the film ecosystem of Central America with Mexico and other territories, was selected from among a hundred applicants. In addition, he went through an evaluation and interview process until he was positioned as one of the four finalists and subsequently, winner of one of the two scholarships awarded on this occasion.
In addition to his work as a producer, the Guatemalan editor has taught and actively participates in initiatives aimed at strengthening the audiovisual industry in the region.
“Spaces like this not only allow us to professionalize processes, but also generate real connections between industries. For me, As a Guatemalan producer based in Mexico, it is essential to be able to continue building bridges between Central America, Mexico and Europe. Furthermore, training at an institution like ESCAC, which has such a direct relationship with the industry and with the Spanish audiovisual ecosystem, represents a key opportunity to consolidate the work that I have already been developing and expand its impact,” added Matheu.
The Guatemalan film producer and editor will attend ESCAC’s postgraduate course in Film Business, which, according to the institution, is designed for professionals seeking to delve deeper into the dynamics of the contemporary audiovisual market, with special emphasis on the distribution, marketing and positioning of film projects in international circuits.
The ESCAC, attached to the University of Barcelona, Spain, is one of the most prestigious film training centers in the world, according to experts in the film industry. Furthermore, the collaboration with the Guadalajara International Film Festival reinforces the link between Europe and Latin America, as well as promoting the training of profiles that can operate strategically in both territories.