A Year of Cinematic Success: Looking Back at 2023 from the World Content Team
By Maura Chacko / December 07 2023
A Year of Cinematic Success: Looking Back at 2023 from the World Content Team
As 2023 winds down, it’s a fitting time to share a highlight reel of sorts from Spafax’s World Content team. Our experts have been working harder than ever, consistently demonstrating their collective knack for discovering global cinematic gems from markets all over the world.
"“We’re feeling incredibly excited for the year to come as 2023 winds to a close. The revival of World Cinema post-pandemic has been a major source of inspiration for our team. The festival circuit has come alive with high-caliber productions, and we’re confident that will continue into 2024 as the industry continues to bounce back”. ~ Julieta Bowyer, Director - World Content"
Spotting and Showcasing Hits: By the Numbers
In 2023, the team and its 10 World Content Experts added nearly 50 world cinema titles to our clients’ screens long before any other IFE companies — a huge competitive advantage for Spafax clients. These global titles spanned South Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, with nearly two dozen languages represented.
“We had an incredibly busy, productive year, but one common thread no matter which film festival or industry event we were attending, or what we were watching, was to discover new and classic world content that connects with diverse audiences onboard,” says World Content director Julieta Bowyer. “That’s always been a key driver for us, but as airline audiences become increasingly global, it’s more important than ever.”
The team discovered world films and international TV that not only appeal to passengers, but also have been lauded by critics, and subsequently (often after Spafax’s acquisitions) by wider audiences, as demonstrated in various global box offices.
Bringing Top Titles onto IFE First
In many instances, Spafax was the sole company to acquire and bring to the IFE market notable films that later blossomed into critical and commercial successes, such as Coupez!, a French film directed by Michel Hazanavicius (director of the Oscar-winning film The Artist), 1976, a Chilean-Argentinian debut film from director Manuela Martelli, and Under the Fig Trees, a Tunisian film directed by Erige Sehiri.
“We’re feeling incredibly excited for the year to come as 2023 winds to a close”, Bowyer says. “The revival of World Cinema post-pandemic has been a major source of inspiration for our team. The festival circuit has come alive with high-caliber productions, and we’re confident that will continue into 2024 as the industry continues to bounce back”.