IAM
IBERO-AMERICAN MEDIA FORUM
A NEW VISION
The media and entertainment industry is undergoing a profound transformation. For decades, Latin American stories were conceived primarily within Latin America, while U.S. stories were developed with a predominantly Anglo-Saxon audience in mind.
Today, there is a completely different generation.
Millions of people were born in the United States to Latin American families. Millions more arrived as children, teenagers, young adults, or adults and have built their lives, careers, and families here.
They do not belong solely to one country. Nor do they belong solely to another. They are the result of the coming together of many cultures.
They think, create, and work in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. They embrace American customs without giving up the traditions, memories, and ties they’ve inherited from their parents, grandparents, or their own countries of origin.
His identity is not divided. It is a new identity.
However, that identity still lacks sufficient representation within the industry. All too often, their stories are caught between two worlds: for some sectors of the U.S. industry, they are still “too Latina”; for some traditional spaces in Latin America, they are “too American.”
IAM was created to address that reality.
Not like a traditional market. Not just a place to present or sell projects. But rather a community where creators can come together, develop their voices, share experiences, and build partnerships that reflect the complexity of the Ibero-American experience in the United States.
WHY WAS IAM FOUNDED?
IAM is designed for people born in the United States with Ibero-American roots and for those who came to this country at any stage of their lives and have built their personal and professional identities here.
The common thread is not their place of birth. It is the experience of living, creating, and building bridges between American culture and the Ibero-American world.
This community includes first-, second-, and subsequent-generation creators; people who arrived as children or young adults; and those who emigrated as adults and have spent a significant part of their careers in the United States.
These are voices capable of thinking and creating in more than one language. They are American and Latin American. Their stories explore identity, belonging, family, migration, memory, integration, contradiction, transformation, and the future.
IAM aims to become a space where those voices are heard, supported, and connected with the industry.
OUR VISION
IAM is designed for people born in the United States with Ibero-American roots and for those who came to this country at any stage of their lives and have built their personal and professional identities here.
The common thread is not their place of birth. It is the experience of living, creating, and building bridges between American culture and the Ibero-American world.
This community includes first-, second-, and subsequent-generation creators; people who arrived as children or young adults; and those who emigrated as adults and have spent a significant part of their careers in the United States.
These are voices capable of thinking and creating in more than one language. They are American and Latin American. Their stories explore identity, belonging, family, migration, memory, integration, contradiction, transformation, and the future.
IAM aims to become a space where those voices are heard, supported, and connected with the industry.
WHY MIAMI?
IAM doesn't want to limit itself to organizing business meetings or presenting projects for just a few days.
We want to build an ecosystem where ideas become projects, projects become partnerships, and partnerships become real opportunities for development and production.
The word “Forum” reflects this breadth. IAM will be a space for creation, learning, conversation, networking, outreach, and business.
The forum may gradually incorporate workshops, mentoring sessions, pitch sessions, industry discussions, one-on-one meetings, master classes, academic activities, and collaborative spaces.
Its growth should be gradual, strategic, and consistent with available resources, while always maintaining a high standard of quality.
MORE THAN JUST A MARKET
SEMILLERO | EMERGING VOICES PROGRAM
"El Semillero" will be IAM's flagship program.
Its purpose will be to identify, support, and connect creators with a distinctive voice and projects that reflect new perspectives on the Ibero-American experience in the United States.
We aren't just looking for projects with commercial potential. We're looking for people who can bring an authentic perspective, a unique sensibility, and a distinctive creative vision.
El Semillero will not be just an annual call for applications. It will be the gateway to an ongoing community of collaboration, mentorship, and opportunities.
Over time, each generation of participants will be able to play an active role in IAM's growth and serve as a support network for future generations.
The goal doesn't end when the festival ends. In many ways, that's when it really begins.
Quality over quantity. IAM will seek to select a small group of projects and creators who can receive meaningful support.
Their own voices. The program will focus on the perspectives of those telling the stories, not just on the commercial potential of the projects.
A diversity of experiences. There is no single way to be Latin American in the United States.
Connections with the industry. Networking, mentoring, and professional gatherings will be essential components.
Collaborative learning. Participants will not be passive recipients; their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives will be an integral part of the process.
Follow-up. IAM will seek to stay in touch with the projects and support their development beyond the event itself.
Safe and respectful spaces. Selected participants must comply with a Code of Conduct, a Safe Spaces Policy, and the established protocols for preventing and addressing incidents of harassment or discrimination.
PROJECT PRINCIPLES
A PLATFORM LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
IAM began as an initiative linked to the Ibero-American Film Festival Miami, but it has a long-term vision.
The project has the potential to become a recognized platform for discovering talent, strengthening projects, connecting communities, and creating new opportunities for collaboration between the United States and Ibero-America.
Its growth will depend on the quality of the selection process, the strength of its partnerships, the commitment of its mentors, and its ability to provide a valuable experience for each participant.
The first edition should establish the principles, identity, and standards that will guide the future of IAM.
It's not just about creating an event. It's about building a community and a platform capable of supporting the stories that will shape the future.
IAM is looking for creators who are shaping the new stories of the United States from an Ibero-American perspective.
Creators who live between cultures, who cross physical and symbolic boundaries, and who transform that experience into new ways of storytelling.
We believe that these voices are not marginal. They are an essential part of the industry's present and future.
IAM – IberoAmerican Media Forum was created to provide you with a place for connection, growth, and a sense of belonging.
A place where their stories can begin.