Sony Pictures Entertainment continues to expand the team behind the creation of international films and television for worldwide markets, having named Diego Suarez as senior VP of international television production and Matthew Stein as VP of international film production, it was announced Tuesday by Sanford Panitch, president of international film and television, to whom both will report.
In their new roles, Suarez and Stein will acquire and develop both local and international film and television content with key international production partners.
“Diego Suarez is for me the definition of the modern international television executive with his wide-ranging experience at both the studio level and in the international channel business. We see tremendous opportunity in producing both international and local language television content, and we are thrilled to have Diego join the team,” said Panitch (pictured above). “In Matt Stein, we get a resourceful film executive with a well-trained background in overseeing smartly budgeted film franchises. He will be an asset in further igniting our local production activities, and in finding internationally oriented films for the world.”
Suarez comes to SPE from Fox21 Television Studios, where he was senior VP of creative affairs, focusing on cable programming development with a strong international angle. Some of the projects Suarez brought in to the studio include “The Queen of the South,” based on the Spanish bestseller, which will air on USA in January, as well as “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” based on the 1988 hit film from Pedro Almodovar, and “Hamelin,” written by award-winning Spanish filmmaker Paco Plaza (“REC”).
Prior to his tenure at Fox21, Suarez served stints at Fox International Channels, Italy; at Boca Boca Producciones, one of Spain’s leading television production companies; and at Cuatrocabezas (Eyeworks), one of the most prestigious multimedia companies in the Spanish-speaking world.
Stein joins SPE after most recently serving as independent producer on a variety of feature film projects. Stein previously held the role of executive VP of production at Dimension Films, where he oversaw production and development for the company and helped to supervise over 30 films during his tenure there, including films in the “Scream,” “Spy Kids,” “Halloween” and “Piranha” franchises.