Chile’s Quijote Films Appoints Fabula’s Sergio Karmy to Lead Growth Plans

Leading Chilean company Quijote Films, known for the acclaimed film “The Settlers,” has appointed Sergio Karmy, former Fabula strategy and development executive, to steer its new business initiatives. This appointment marks a significant step in the company’s growth plans.

“Since its inception, Quijote has been synonymous with producing auteur works that have an international reach, premiering and receiving awards globally. Our established model’s success and the company’s solid financial health have allowed us to invest in a new strategy department. This department will focus on developing in-house projects,” said Quijote Films founder Giancarlo Nasi. The company operates from Santiago, Chile, and Los Angeles, with an eye on generating innovative business models.

Nasi elaborated plans to leverage their expertise in securing public funds, private equity, and partnerships with streaming platforms and broadcasters worldwide. This strategy aims to expand Quijote’s portfolio to include documentaries, series, and more mainstream genres, maintaining the high standards of quality and excellence they are known for.

As the new Strategy Director, Sergio Karmy will lead the company’s exploration into more commercial genres such as romantic comedies, adventure films, youth sports, and a variety of non-fiction projects. “Quijote has a rich history of co-productions, which has been the primary model for financing all its films,” Karmy noted.

Quijote has produced over 20 feature films in territories including Chile, Colombia, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Argentina, and Peru. They’ve co-produced with more than 22 countries, such as Mexico, Poland, France, Taiwan, Sweden, and the U.K. Notable among these is “The Settlers,” Chile’s official entry to the Oscars and a winner at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. It involved multiple international producers and co-producers from France, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany.

Karmy’s role will involve overseeing projects and structuring their finances, targeting streaming services and international distribution. He aims to leverage Quijote’s strong track record in securing public funding, seeking equity partners, and combining diverse financing sources to enhance the global distribution of their projects.

With an MBA in economics, Karmy intends to approach content development as a business opportunity. He emphasized, “Giancarlo has established a solid creative development team. My focus will be on building relationships with platforms and investors, creating business models, and utilizing different financing methods to produce quality films.”

This year, Quijote participates in the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with two co-productions: “Horizonte” by Colombia’s Cesar Acevedo in the Discovery section, and “Los Tortuga” by Spain’s Belén Funes in the festival’s official selection. Additionally, “Zafari” by Mariana Rondón of Venezuela will compete in San Sebastian’s Horizontes Latinos sidebar.

Source: Variety