Newly Launched Broken English Prods. Hires Screen Gems’ Jolene Rodriguez As President

Jill Goldsmith
·2 min read

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Broken English Productions, the newly launched film finance arm of Grandave Capital, has hired Sony’s Screen Gems’ development and production executive Jolene Rodriguez as president.

She starts immediately, overseeing 7th & Union starring Omar Chaparro as executive producer. The popular Mexican actor is teaming with Mexican-Lebanese actress Edy Ganem (Devious Maids) and director Anthony Nardolillo (Shine) on the first Broken English production.

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Rodriguez was at Screen Gems for ten years and executive produced the 2019 Cannes Marché feature, Keyhole Garden starring Zoe Saldana, currently in post-production. She was key in setting up two as yet untitled projects, a Gabrielle Union romantic comedy and a Gigi Saul Guerrero Latinx horror film.

Rodriguez is on the Advisory Board of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and was recognized as one of the Powerful and Influential Latinos in Entertainment for 2019 by the Imagen Foundation.

Grandave Capital, a new entertainment finance company, launched Broken English Productions in June to focus on movie and TV projects centered on Latinx stories, told by Latinx filmakers. It said it plans to invest about $20 million in up to four Latinx projects a year with emerging writers and directors and budgets of about $5 million.

“I am beyond thrilled to welcome Jolene Rodriguez, who has been an advocate and trailblazer at Sony Pictures for over a decade, into the Broken English family. Her experience, her influence and her expertise will add a much-needed voice into the dynamic creative company we are building to connect and cultivate relationships in the film industry and make powerful films that encompass the Latinx experience,” said Christopher Acebo, Broken English Prods.’ CEO.

Grandave will also be participating as an investor in a handful of larger – up to $15 million — outside projects. The first of these was Paul Shrader’s The Card Counter, exec produced by Martin Scorsese, which wrapped filming in Biloxi, Mississippi earlier this month after a virus-related delay.

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