Michael Kaufman to Lead 5X Media European Outpost

5X Media has tapped Madrid-based producer and manager Michael Kaufman to build and run its first European outpost.

Kaufman, who has more than 20 years of experience in Spain, the U.S., China, Ireland, Argentina and Israel, will operate out of Madrid.

Among the new clients entering the 5X Media fold with Kaufman are Spain-based Argentinean writer and showrunner Juan Carballo (Netflix’s El Amor Después Del Amor, Hulu’s El Grito de las Mariposas); producer and showrunner Anne Clements (The Kill Room; Starz’s BMF); writers The Lehrer Brothers (Tubi’s The Freak Brothers); producer, writer and director Paul Kampf; and 2Team Productions (Come Closer).

Clements and Kampf are currently in production on Undercard, starring Wanda Sykes, and Harvest, starring Matthew McNulty and Angus Macfadyen. They are also in preproduction on Diario: Mujer Y Café, directed by Roselyn Sanchez (Rush Hour 2, FOX’s Fantasy Island). Also, Kampf recently put together a $20 million film fund whose mission is to produce films starring and directed or produced by women.

Kaufman recently closed a first-look writing and producing deal for Carballo at Madrid’s Secoya Studios. He joins 5X Media following his first-look deal with Moonrise Pictures on a variety of U.S. TV and film projects with writers and directors such as Tessa Blake (NCIS, Riverdale), Liz Benjamins (The Flight Attendant, Dead to Me), J. Todd Harris (The Kids Are Alright, The Trial of The Chicago Seven) and The Lehrer Boys (Freak Brothers), and companies including MMC Studios, Creativity Capital and Paramount Pictures/Jerry Bruckheimer.

Throughout his career, Kaufman has held a number of roles, including VP of development for Vision Independent Productions, in a first-look deal with Warner Bros. International Television; VP of programming at Al Rocker Entertainment; and director of current programming at ABC.

“Michael will play a key role as we continue our rapid global expansion to become a truly borderless production studio, sales and management company,” said Alon Shtruzman and Gil Goldschein, co-CEOs of 5X Media. “With his long, impressive track record of success as a producer and manager of top-tier creative talent across the continent, Michael brings us extraordinary creatives and is a natural to lead our efforts there.”

Kaufman said, “I am looking forward to expanding our overseas business and working closely with Alon, Gil, Scott and our brilliant team. The boom in international platforms has created strong demand for the high caliber of creative talent we represent, all of which have established proven track records in these critical markets.”