7th Premios Platino Event Canceled

The Premios Platino, Iberoamerica’s most prominent annual film and TV awards event, has canceled its 7^th edition, citing concerns about the Coronavirus pandemic. Set to take place for a third time at the Xcaret resort in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, this edition was going to include an inaugural industry event to run May 1-3, culminating in the awards night on May 3.

“Out of respect and solidarity with our society, and in order to support and contribute to the health prevention and regulation actions recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the organizers of the Platino Awards, Spain’s Audiovisual Producers Rights Management Entity (EGEDA) and the Ibero-American Federation of Cinematographic and Audiovisual Producers (FIPCA), announce that the seventh edition of the awards… is postponed, without a new date,” said the official communique.

However, online voting based on the nominations will continue, with the winners to be announced at a later date.

Platino Industria was expected to draw some 300 producers and 700 industry pros with the aim to foster alliances and projects within the Ibero-American audiovisual community. Given the current uncertainties about the Cannes Festival, this would have been a significant event for many in the industry.

The recently built Barceló Maya Arena Convention Center was to host the event as the official venue for producers, directors, distributors, investors, film commissions, and suppliers of film and audiovisual services to generate business opportunities.

The cancellation is a blow to the awards event and its organizers. According to Kantar Media and Barlovento Comunicación, the sixth edition of the Platino Awards had a media impact value estimated at $110 million, generating an EAV (Equivalent Advertising Value) of $71 million for the Riviera Maya.