ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ, JULY 2024 – Luis Carcheri, Propietario, Distribuidora Romaly, S.A., will receive this year’s LATAM Distributor of the Year Award at ShowEast as part of the International Awards Luncheon on Monday, October 21, 2024 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
“ShowEast is thrilled to honor Mr. Carcheri with this year’s LATAM Distributor of the Year award,” said Andrew Sunshine, President of the Film Expo Group. “He has valiantly promoted distribution in Costa Rica and the LATAM region. We congratulate him on this richly deserved honor.”
Past recipients of this prestigious award include Diamond Films; Marcio Fraccaroli of Paris Filmes; Pedro Rodriguez of IDC; Martin Iraola of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; and Monique Esclavissat of Warner Bros. Pictures International.
Luis Federico Carcheri Schwartz was born in Panama and holds a Degree in Economics from the University of Panama.
While studying Economic Sciences, he began his career in 1975 where he entered into a small family business with two very successful movie theaters, led by Viola Schwartz (Cinema Capitolio and Cinema Central). This set off the foundation of a small film distribution company called Latin American Film Investment.
In 1980, Mr. Carcheri moved to Costa Rica to join Antonio Hassan, and his company Romaly, S.A.. There, he embarked on a most-challenging project—to promote cinematic exhibition in Costa Rica. This proved to be a fantastic adventure but was fraught with challenges.
While in Costa Rica, Romaly, S.A. developed five new complexes—bringing new life to the movie business in this tiny country. Little by little, Costa Rican cinema was growing and by the turn of the century, it became the Central America country with the highest box-office results.
In 1990, Mr. Carcheri successfully advocated a major change in the rating system law before the Supreme Court of Costa Rica. Upon its succession, the Board of Censors could no longer prohibit a film; they were allowed only to establish restrictions by age.
In 1995 as Director of Distribuidora Romaly, S.A., he had the honor to be appointed Distributor in Costa Rica of UIP (Paramount and Universal Pictures) and again in 2020 in El Salvador, with the support of his daughter Anabelle.
In 2010, he successfully re-opened the prestigious movie theater, Cine Magaly. Still an icon in Costa Rica: the Cine Magaly is an art movie house with two screens, 569 seats, plus an additional 75-seat screening room named La Salita (The Living Room). Run by solar panels and equipped with the latest projection system (Laser + 4K), Cine Magaly has created a perfect scenario for the release of upscales films and film festivals.
For the last 14 years, Mr. Carcheri has served as the President of the Association of Distributors and Exhibitors of Costa Rica. Currently, he is working on a proposal to the government about modernizing the rating system in the region, specifically Costa Rica and El Salvador.
Luis and his team are looking forward to many more adventures and successes in this region.
ABOUT SHOWEAST
ShowEast will take place from October 21-24, 2024 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami, Florida. After 35+ years, ShowEast is the longest-running and most successful film convention for major, regional, and independent cinema professionals. The show will attract an estimated 2,000 domestic and Latin American motion picture industry professionals and will feature product presentations and screenings of major upcoming films, exclusive sponsored events, and exciting and informative seminars.
ABOUT FILM EXPO GROUP
The Film Expo Group is the premier organizer of networking events in the motion picture industry. The Film Expo Group produces ShowEast, held in Miami; CineEurope, held in Barcelona; and CineAsia, held in Bangkok
Additional information on ShowEast can be found at www.showeast.com.
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Media Contact: dawn.blaschick@filmexpos.com
