Los Angeles, California – Cisneros Media Distribution (CMD), a global distributor of entertainment content, and Pausoka Entertainment signed a distribution deal for the Americas on May 14. The contract, which was signed just prior to the L.A. Screenings, grants CMD the exploitation rights for Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market of the programme formats of The Imposter, Council of the Wise and Stars on the Street.
“This deal is the direct result of our business strategy to expand our programming catalogue, not only with the increased output of our affiliated production companies in Venezuela and the United States, but through alliances and associations that provide us with inventory and the distribution of products created by independent producers such as Pausoka Entertainment,” emphasised Cesar Diaz, Vice President, Cisneros Media Distribution. “We are confident that these non-scripted formats have a great potential in the region. These original programmes can be effectively adapted to any market, and I am sure they will be enjoyed by all Latin American audiences since it’s wholesome entertainment for the entire family.”
Pausoka Entertainment’s Director of Formats & New Projects, Xabi Zabaleta, equally expressed his confidence in Cisneros Media Distribution to effectively market the company’s products in new territories, increasing its reach and audiences. “For several years now we have been focused on creating new formats, and we have been successful in marketing our ideas abroad, reaching countries as diverse as the United States, China and Russia; but we wanted to grow in Latin America, and with that objective, it was essential for us to work with the leading company in the market. Therefore, we are thrilled and proud of our agreement with Cisneros Media Distribution, we are certain it’s the company that best fits our needs. I believe our programmes will be very well received by Spanish-speaking viewers because culturally we are very similar and these formats incorporate elements that audiences can identify with.”
Founded in 1988, Pausoka Entertainment has tremendous experience in the advanced audiovisual sector. With more than one hundred collaborators, contributing their talent and expertise to generate and consolidate ideas, the Spanish company solidifies its leadership in providing the necessary knowhow to create and develop multiple formats, such as The Imposter, Council of the Wise, and Stars in the Street, among others.
“The Imposter was selected among the 20 most original formats presented at this year’s edition of MIPTV,” said Xabaleta. “On the other hand, Stars on the Street is our latest and most innovative format, and we are sure that it will be an enduring international hit.”
The Impostor
The Imposter, a successful format currently being produced by AmericaTV in Peru, one of the eight countries where it has been sold, is a reality show in which a person (the ‘impostor’) plays the part of a family member for a few days, while a contestant tries to discover him/her. The ‘impostor’ will have a learning period with the family during which time he/she must memorise the family history, his/her own character’s life story, the names of all family members, places they have travelled on vacations, etc. The ‘impostor’ can assume a role that already exists in the family (e.g. father figure) or a new one created specifically for the programme (grandmother, brother, etc.). The contestant, on the other hand, must live with this peculiar family for a weekend and try to discover which of its members is the ‘impostor’.
In Stars on the Street, the completing singers must face the most demanding jury: pedestrians passing by on the street. The four candidates face-off in two street duels, and the winner is decided by who receives the most money from the people. The winners of each duel compete in the final duel of the day. Every day features a new city, a new jury, and four new singers but there’s only one winner.
Council of the Wise provides an opportunity for troubled youngsters to receive advice from the ‘council of the wise’, a group of life experts consisting of four elderly men and women who have experienced and overcome similar situations in their past and want to help the youths. As the proverb states, “the devil knows more for being old than for being the devil.” In the Council of the Wise, participants coexist for a week, during such time each of the elders will exchange experiences with the youths, even sharing their world: their homes, their family, etc. The main objective is, after these days together, for the youths to gain another perspective to deal with their problems.
