\n\tJos\u00e9 Manuel Lorenzo, producer of Netflix<\/a> global non-English chart-toppers \u201cThe Gardener\u201d and \u201cRaising Voices,\u201d is set to receive this year\u2019s Conecta Fiction<\/a> Honorary Award.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tIt will be presented to him at this year\u2019s Conecta Fiction & Entertainment, which runs June 16-19, relocated to Cuenca, a one hour train ride East of Madrid.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe award recognizes his exceptional career in the audiovisual sector, where Lorenzo has been a key figure in the evolution of modern Spanish television and the elevation of scripted content as a cultural and export engine,\u201d Conecta Fiction announced.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAccording to the Conecta Awards Committee, Jos\u00e9 Manuel Lorenzo embodies like few others the passion and transformation driving the industry forward in Spain,\u201d it added\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tNow President and founder of the DLO Producciones, a Banijay company, Lorenzo is indeed one of Spain\u2019s few still jobbing industry figures whose career practically straddles the entirety of modern Spanish TV, bowed by belated deregulation over 1989-90 which saw the launch of networks Antena 3 and Mediaset\u2019s Telecinco and payTV channel Canal+ Espa\u00f1a.<\/p>\n \n\tIn a probable record, while still in his thirties Lorenzo worked for all three as a top executive, first joining Spanish public broadcaster RTVE as its Commercial Director, then in 1992 becoming general director of Mediaset\u2019s Spanish ad sales unit Publiespa\u00f1a, after being interviewed by Silvio Berlusconi. They talked for four hours, Berlusconi made him an offer he couldn\u2019t refuse but what Mediaset was doing \u201cwasn\u2019t my style,\u201d Lorenzo told Vanity Fair Espa\u00f1a.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWhat was and is Lorenzo\u2019s style was the production of Spanish fiction. Tapped first in 1993 by Antonio Asensio, the new owner of Antena 3, as its commercial director, Lorenzo was appointed its director general in 1995. Here, he made his first large contribution to modern Spanish TV, not only pushing Antena 3\u2019s newscasts but continuing its drive into the production of\u00a0\u00a0Spanish TV series that\u00a0\u00a0helped to forge many of the foundations on which the current greatness of Spanish TV production is based.<\/p>\n \n\tBy the late \u201890s, very few U.S. series made an annual Top 10 of Spain\u2019s most watched primetime series. Many of Spain\u2019s leading screenwriters who have proved hugely successful in a platform age \u2013 Alex Pina, Ramon Campos, for example \u2013 cut their teeth penning shows for free-to-air networks. Moving into scripted series in a competitive environment 15 years before Latin America, Spain accumulated an expertise in series production which still stands it in good stead today.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tLorenzo adored Asensio but Lorenzo\u2019s looks of a chic rock star sat badly with the conservative honchos of Telef\u00f3nica, which bought Antena 3 Group in 1997. They sat better at liberal Canal+, where he served as its general director over 1998-2004. His passion remained production, however.<\/p>\n \n\tFounding Drive in 2004<\/a>, serving as president of Boomerang, and then launching DLO Producciones in 2011, Lorenzo\u2019s battle has been to find an stable financing context and international outlet for his creativity.<\/p>\n \n\tOver these years, Lorenzo has made highly ambitious films which didn\u2019t find box office traction (Agust\u00edn D\u00edaz Yanes\u2019 \u201cSolo Quiero Caminar\u201d) and the hugely popular pioneering modern musical \u201cHoy no me puedo levantar\u201d which was not a big payday. Other titles fared better: RTVE\u2019s 2012 \u201cEl angel de Budapest\u201d scooped a Premio Hondas for best miniseries; 2017\u2019s \u201cLord, Give Me Patience\u201d proved a box office hit; 2019\u2019s lovingly made \u201cLa Caza. Monteperdido,\u201d also for RTVE was a ratings hit and won the Audience award at France\u2019s Luchon Festival.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tJose\u0301 Manuel Lorenzo <\/span> \n\tHow Streaming Services Helped Lorenzo Practice His True Calling<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tFrom 2017, the stars have begin to align for Lorenzo. Backing by Banijay from 2017 and the advent of streaming services \u2013 led by Netflix in 2015 and compounded by launch of Movistar Plus+<\/a>, which released its first series in 2017 \u2013 have allowed Lorenzo to exercise his true calling, as an energetically independent producer accessing both financing and international distribution.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\tPopular on Variety\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Lisbeth Salas<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n