CONTENT AMERICAS: Six drama projects have been shortlisted to be pitched live at Content Americas, with a US$20,000 prize up for grabs for the winner.
The Content Americas Copro Pitch 2026 showcases six of the most exciting scripted series in development from the professional community across Latin America, US Hispanic, Spain and Portugal, with producers looking for international coproduction deals to take their projects global.
This year there were almost 100 submissions, and six projects have been selected to pitch live at Content Americas on Tuesday January 20, at 3.30pm. The winning project, selected by an esteemed panel of judges, will receive a prize of US$20,000 worth of marketing across C21Media’s digital, print and event products to support development and pre-sales promotion of the show.
The judges this year are Ben Odell, CEO and co-founder of 3Pas Studios; Cindy Teperman, co-founder and president at Infinity Hill; Erik Barmack, founder and CEO of Wild Sheep Content; Tereza Gonzalez, international VP at Conspiraçao Filmes; and Robert Franke, MD of Intaglio Films, part of Germany’s ZDF Studios.
The winning project will be announced on Thursday January 22 at the Content Americas closing cocktail party. The six finalists are:
Sexorcismo
CIC Media, United States
Based on the third book by Isabella Santo Domingo, bestselling author of Los Caballeros las Prefieren Brutas, Sexorcism is described as “an irreverent, tender and chaotically funny dramedy about second chances, accidental parenthood and the kind of love that doesn’t come with a warning label.”
CIC Media, the US-based prodco operating across the UK, the US and Latin America, is developing the project with Israel’s Sipur Studios as a copro partner. “We are still working on the final budget as it depends on the final episode count, but we are planning on producing the series in Colombia as Mexico,” says CIC founder Marlon Quintero (Los Simuladores, Los Caballeros Las Prefieren Brutas). “We are currently looking for 65-70% of the budget.”
“I’ve seen countless women forced to sacrifice their dreams while the men simply move on. This story flips that script,” explains Santo Domingo. “What if, just once, it was the man whose life was turned upside down? What if he had to face fatherhood unexpectedly, raising a baby he never planned for, without even knowing who the mother was?”
Dr Sex
Jaguar Bite, Mexico
This comedy series is currently in development by Jaguar Bite, the prodco that has worked on Susana & Elvira (Netflix), Bogotá: City of the Lost (Netflix) and Titan (Lionsgate). Created by Juan Pablo Solano and Gary Preisler and developed in collaboration with director and showrunner Noé Santillán-López (Mesa de Regalos, Entre Paredes), Dr Sex offers a fresh and contemporary concept inspired by a more classical American single camera comedy format, according to Jaguar Bite. Mexican screenwriter Fernanda Eguiarte, who has collaborated with Netflix on several projects, leads the writers’ room, and the project has Israel’s Sipur Studios involved as a partner.
Dr Sex is an eight-part premium drama series with an estimated total budget of US$4.8m (US$600,000 per episode), according to Fernando Seoane, head of production and content development at Jaguar Bite Mexico. “The budget includes a Mexican director and lead actor and benefits from production efficiencies in Colombia. Colombian tax incentives are expected to contribute around 30% of eligible spend, after discounts,” he says.
“We have a coproduction partner in place and we are now seeking a licensing partner for North, Central and South America to cover 50–60% of the budget. Our target buyers include global and regional streaming platforms and/or another international coproduction partner to help finalise financing and participate in rights, distribution or format exploitation.”
Espasmo
Perrenque Media Lab, Colombia
Independent prodco Perrenque Media Lab (Moles, Ana Rosa, Wisp) has partnered with Itoko Media of Puerto Rico and Colombia on this eight-part psychological crime drama, created by Perrenque Media Lab founder Cristina Villar Rosa. The first season has a total budget of approximately US$6m – around US$900,000 per episode, including development – and the producers have secured 40% of the financing through development resources and aligned partners.
“We are currently seeking pre-buyers and/or coproduction partners to close the remaining budget and move into production,” says Villar Rosa, who adds that the alliance with Itoko brings “expertise in international coproduction, chain of title, music supervision and access to US Hispanic and Ibero-American financing structures.”
The storyline centres on a female detective living with severe OCD and fractured childhood memories, who investigates the hypersexualised death of a male sex worker. Nico Martínez has been signed to direct episodes 1 and 8; and three additional female Latin American directors are being sought for the other episodes.
Espasmo “responds directly to a global appetite for elevated crime thrillers with strong psychological depth, political relevance, and a clear authorial voice,” says Villar Rosa. “The series places women at the centre of power, investigation and moral complexity, while addressing themes that resonate internationally: institutional corruption, sexual violence, impunity and the cost of silence.”
Pioneers
Pablo Udenio, Argentina/México
This football-themed series is being developed and produced by Dukkah Producciones, an Argentine production company led by Pablo Udenio. It will be directed by Lorena Muñoz (Gilda, María Soledad, El Potro, La Hija de Dios), one of Argentina’s most acclaimed filmmakers.
Revisiting the little-known Women’s World Cup of 1971, Pioneras tells a story of resilience that is deeply universal and emotionally inspiring for international audiences, says Udenio. The project’s strength in today’s global market rests on three pillars: female empowerment, football and the fact it’s based on true events, he adds.
Dukkah, the Buenos Aires company behind Casi Feliz (Netflix), Gunman and The Virgin of the Quarry Lake, has invested in the development of the show. “We are currently structuring the remaining financing through a combination of international coproduction partners and strategic alliances,” says Udenio.
“Conceived as a historical limited fiction series with a strong focus on character, identity and sport, Pioneras is designed for today’s premium series landscape. It is aimed primarily at streaming platforms and television networks seeking real-life inspired, female-driven stories with universal themes of transformation, teamwork and social change.”
Yellow Submarine
ACT4, Spain
This crime thriller is being developed as part of an agreement announced between ACT4 and Secuoya Studios last year. Created by ACT4’s Icelandic exec producer Hordur Runarsson and YLE’s head of drama Jarmo Lampela, the project centres on a group of fishermen who catch a Colombian drug drone-submarine in their nets. One of Iceland’s top writing talents, Halldór Laxness Halldórsson (Balls), has joined the project’s writing team.
“The production budget is between €1.4m and €1.5m per episode, with international financing currently at around 50 to 60%. All soft funding is still left to be applied for or is awaiting decisions,” says Runarsson.
Regarding the changing landscape for funding these kinds of projects, he adds: “Financing has changed over the last few years and become more focused. The days of single-buyer, high-volume commissioning are largely over, and projects now need to be structured, albeit authentically, internationally from the start.
“For Yellow Submarine, the Icelandic, Colombian and Spanish coproduction setup isn’t just about financing; it’s part of what makes the show work creatively and commercially. Soft money and tax incentives remain crucial, but they work best when paired with strong partners and a clear market position. There’s still an active market for ambitious drama, but it rewards projects that are well thought through, realistically financed and built for collaboration.”
Jose Piedra, A Man With Bad Luck
Scarpetta Media, Argentina
The project is in development and is being creatively led by Jonathan Wul (pictured above) as creator and producer, together with writer and producer Javier Ponzone, a well-known film and TV critic who has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram and more than a million on TikTok. The project currently has an initial internal investment for development and is now seeking strategic partners to complete financing, greenlight the series, and move into production.
The project “is built around a universal theme – second chances – told through a character-driven comedy with emotional depth, warmth and humour,” says Wul. “At a time when audiences are looking for hopeful and relatable stories, the series offers a feelgood narrative that can connect across cultures while keeping a strong Latin identity.
“There is a growing demand for scripted content that blends comedy and drama, with relatable characters and emotionally engaging stories. Platforms and broadcasters are increasingly interested in projects that feel local but speak to a global audience, with clear concepts that connect quickly.”
