Former Costa Rican Film Commissioner Marysela Zamora, who was instrumental in reviving the Costa Rica Media Market (CRMM) these past two years, will continue to serve on the Board of Directors of the Ibero-American Network of Film Commissions (Iberofic), where she will spearhead a regional agenda aimed at bolstering women’s leadership in the audiovisual sector and help foster Spanish-language content on the global stage.
“Marysela has been a key voice in strengthening regional cooperation and positioning Costa Rica within the Ibero-American audiovisual conversation. We are pleased that she continues to be part of our Board of Directors and to lead strategic initiatives for the entire region,” said Carolina Cordero, Iberofic founder and president, who attended CRMM for the first time in July this year.
“At Iberofic, we understand that the value and experience of professionals transcend the positions they hold at any given time. That is why we seek out and invite the best representatives from each territory—individuals with experience, knowledge, and the ability to build bridges and contribute a strategic vision,” Cordero noted, adding: “Our commitment is to build long-term alliances and opportunities for the audiovisual industry and for the region, beyond institutional cycles. Marysela embodies this spirit and has demonstrated that collaborative work and continuity are essential for building a more integrated, competitive and internationally visible audiovisual industry.”
The leadership change at the film commission, a unit of foreign trade promotion agency Procomer, comes as new conservative populist president Laura Fernandez, who took office in May, consolidates her administration.
A creative industries strategist, producer and public policy specialist with more than 12 years of experience advancing Costa Rica’s audiovisual sector, Zamora led efforts to attract international productions and investment as its film commissioner since 2024, overseeing more than 200 projects involving major studios and platforms including Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Hulu, ITV and BBC Studios.
During her tenure, film investment tripled in Costa Rica, from roughly $4 million in 2023 to $12 million in 2024, before reaching just over $11 million in 2025.
This year, the film commission facilitated the shoot of Abby Fuller’s debut feature “Hope/Esperanza” from Oscar-winning producer Mark Johnson (“Rain Man”), an executive producer of the television mega-hit series, “Breaking Bad.” According to the film’s local line producer, Esteban Quesada, a Variety Below-the-Line Talent to Track, this was Johnson’s first time to shoot in Costa Rica.
As head of the Costa Rica Media Market, Zamora helped position the country as a regional hub for audiovisual investment and co-production. Her work has earned her more than 30 national and international awards, including a United Nations SDGs and Her Award in 2020. Forbes Central America named her one of the region’s most powerful women in 2026.
“I firmly believe that the next great chapter in audiovisual media will be written in Spanish. Our region has the talent, the stories, and the capacity to become one of the world’s great creative engines,” she said.
“My commitment to the development of audiovisual media transcends any position and will remain focused on building bridges, attracting opportunities and strengthening an industry that generates culture, identity and economic development for our countries.”