EXCLUSIVE: Britton Rizzio’s boutique management firm Curate Management, focused on creators in film and TV, has announced its acquisition of Zipa Entertainment, the Mexico City-based management company founded by Sofia Escallon. Escallon now joins Curate as a Partner, and will spearhead the company’s efforts to expand internationally.
Zipa’s focus on bilingual and bi-cultural showrunners, writers and directors working in Latin America, with the potential to cross over to other markets, broadens Curate’s value proposition and significantly increases its scope of representation. Its clients include such prominent creators as Fernanda Eguiarte, whose show La Flor Más Bella, co-created with comedian Michelle Rodriguez, premiered on Netflix in early December; Miguel Garcia Moreno, the Spanish co-creator of the Netflix series Control Z; Isaac Cherem, the Mexican co-writer and director of the film Leona, which was nominated for seven Ariel Awards; Lucero Sanchez Novaro, the Mexican director and writer nominated to an Ariel award for her short film Malva and co-writer on the Netflix series Todo Va a Estar Bien, directed by Diego Luna; and Mariana Levy, the Argentinian writer and producer on the Amazon show El Presidente, which returned for its second season in November.
“Sofia brings the experience of helming a creator-driven business and in-depth knowledge of the Latin American market,” Rizzo told Deadline. “Joining ventures offers our collective clients global reach with the benefit of hands-on representation.”
“We’re delighted to have Sofia join our team,” remarked Partner Courtney Conwell. “Her passion for representing unique and visionary storytellers is inspiring and aligns perfectly with our mission at Curate.”
Added Escallon: “I am incredibly stimulated by the vision of the Curate team and look to pollinate talent across various regions while generating opportunities for our clients that put them in positions of power. We share the idea that stories are universal and markets shouldn’t be perceived as separate entities.”
Escallon pivoted to management in 2016, after a successful career start in publicity with the Miami-based Newlink Group. Advocating for a more authentic representation of modern Latinx and Hispanic culture on screen is at the core of her work.
Other notable clients at Curate, which was launched in 2021, include Jac Schaeffer (WandaVision), Emily St. Mandel (Station Eleven), Our Lady J (Pose, American Horror Story), Oren Uziel (The Lost City), Heather Quinn (Werewolf by Night), Cody Heller (Dummy), Heidi Schreck (What the Constitution Means to Me) and Emily Carmichael (Jurassic World: Dominion).