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Leonardo Padrón and José Ignacio Valenzuela.
It was announced today that acclaimed creators, writers and showrunners Leonardo Padrón and José Ignacio Valenzuela will deliver a keynote session highlighting the work of creators and the evolution of the role in today’s television and streaming industries as part of the keynote programmed presented at MIP CANCUN 2025 in partnership with TV Latina.
The 12th edition of MIP CANCUN, the #1 Content and Co-Production Market for the Latin American and US Hispanic Television Industry, takes place from 18-21 November 2025 at the Moon Palace, Cancun, Mexico; with the fireside conversation with Padrón and Valenzuela taking place on Wednesday November 19 at 17.00 in the resort’s CANCUN Theater.
Padrón is a screenwriter for film and television, poet, feature write, columnist, essayist, and interviewer. He has published more than 20 books, including poetry, chronicles, essays, interview collections, and children’s literature. In Venezuelan television, he has won over 25 awards for telenovelas such as Amores de fin de siglo, Contra viento y marea, Cosita rica, and La mujer perfecta, among others. His stories have aired on networks like RCTV, Venevisión, TV Azteca, and Univision. Since 2017, he has written for Televisa and Univision, including Amar a muerte, Rubí, and Si nos dejan.
In 2022, following the successful debut of the first season of The Marked Heart (Pálpito) on Netflix, he signed an exclusive three-year creative deal with the streaming service for series and films. Under this deal, the second season premiered in April 2023, followed by Accidente (The Accident) in August of 2024. This title also became a global audience favorite on the platform. Most recently, it was revealed that the production second season, developed by Mar Abierto Producciones, just finished shooting and will roll out this year.
Valenzuela—known in the industry as ‘el chascas’—has a professional career spanning over 30 years, with five films released, more than thirty published books, numerous plays, and countless television productions, making him one of the most successful creators of his generation.
He began his career in Chile before going on to work with Televisa, Azteca, Telemundo, and Max. However, it wasn’t until 2021 that Netflix announced a three-year exclusive creative deal with him for series and film development. Through this agreement, he created Who Killed Sara? (¿Quién mató a Sara?), High Heat (Donde hubo fuego), and most recently, Sisters’ Feud (Las hermanas Guerra), all of which reached top audience rankings on the global platform. Most recently, Valenzuela and Del Barrio Producciones signed a partnership to produce a telenovela about Peruvian cuisine, titled Leche de tigre.
Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari, editor of TV Latina.
“I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to celebrate the creativity and achievements of Leonardo Padrón and José Ignacio Valenzuela on a globally significant stage like MIP CANCUN,” said Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari, editor of TV Latina, who will also be moderating the session. “The journey of both professionals has been full of sacrifices, adventures, and lessons that will undoubtedly enrich the conversation and enhance the experience for attendees.”
“This keynote reflects our ongoing commitment to spotlighting the most relevant voices shaping the future of Spanish-language content,” said María Pérez-Bellière, Director of MIP CANCUN. “Leonardo and José Ignacio embody the creative excellence, cultural impact, and global reach that define the spirit of MIP CANCUN.”
The 12th edition of MIP CANCUN is set to welcome back a community of up to 1,000 delegates from over 40 countries, spanning buyers, producers and distributors from global studios and major players from across the Americas and globally to the world’s largest production hub for Spanish-language content.
www.mipcancun.com *Organised by Safi, a subsidiary of RX France and Ateliers d’Art de France.
