A Fábrica Mexico & U.S. Hispanic Names New Scripted VP

A Fábrica Mexico & U.S. Hispanic, part of Banijay Americas, has tapped Santiago Zapata as its new scripted VP.

Zapata will oversee all scripted development and production for the Mexico City-based label. He joins from Ntertain Studios/Neon16 and has credits for showrunning the Disney+ series Los Montaner for two seasons and writing Netflix’s La Firma and Paramount+’s Thalia’s Mixtape.

Zapata is also currently directing and producing a feature documentary on music mogul Tommy Mottola.

At Ntertain Studios/Neon16, Zapata developed a slate of films, original series, documentaries and brand collaborations for the U.S. and Latin American markets. Notable projects included collaborations with Will Smith, Talia and Big Sean.

Zapata began his career directing music videos, short films and commercials before joining Contento Films, a company instrumental in putting Medellín, Colombia on the global production map. He worked alongside the local government to help design film incentive programs.

Later, Zapata led multiple production services in feature films for major studios like Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures and MarVista Entertainment. As a writer and producer, his notable credits include The Boy, City of Dead Men and Monos.

“Santiago is a storyteller at heart and brings deep creative experience as an executive, along with a forward-thinking enthusiasm as a producer,” said Luiz Noronha, president of A Fábrica Mexico & U.S. Hispanic. “He’s truly a breath of fresh air, with a strong foundation in both scripted and talent-driven projects. His collaborative spirit and instinctive understanding of client needs will keep us closely aligned with our partners and the stories they want to tell the world.”

Zapata added, “I’m very grateful for this opportunity to join A Fábrica at such an exciting moment. Not only for what it represents for my career, but also on a personal level, as it allows me to grow alongside a team I truly admire for their talent, experience and, above all, their integrity. I’m incredibly excited about this new chapter, especially for the challenge of taking my work to the next level: trusting my instincts and creating stories that genuinely resonate with audiences.”