Joshua Mintz and Ana Celia Urquidi announce their alliance
Based on their long-standing friendship and over 15 years of working together, Ana Celia Urquidi and Joshua Mintz announced their partnership at Atenea Media. They explained that they are a well-respected duo in the industry, not only because of their proven track record but also due to their deep understanding of each other. This mutual knowledge enables them to collaborate seamlessly, sharing strategies and goals. Urquidi stated, ‘We already know what we’re going to do, what we want, and where we’re headed.”
Urquidi told PRODU, ‘We’d been contemplating this for years. Even when we left Azteca, we were already considering the possibility.” She recalled that the pandemic and the circumstances at the time prevented the alliance from happening sooner.
Mintz summarized, ‘We have an incredible professional understanding and complement each other exceptionally well. We bring many strengths to the table and have a proven track record of success together. We’ve achieved significant milestones for platforms, channels, and other companies.’ Reflecting on their realization of this long-held dream, he added, ‘We can now generate content that we confidently recommend to different programmers, leveraging our combined programming experience.”
To announce their partnership, Ana Celia Urquidi and Joshua Mintz hosted a press conference at Isola Polanco, a restaurant owned by actor Julián Gil. They were joined by a notable group of actors and actresses, including Mabel Cadenas, Geraldine Zinat, Sara Maldonado, Diego Amozurrutia, Alexis Ayala, Alex de la Madrid, Juana Arias, Gonzalo García Vivanco, and Valentina Acosta. These well-known figures expressed their support for Urquidi and Mintz’s new venture.
Before the end of the year, Atenea Media has several productions in development. Mintz explained, “Unfortunately, we cannot discuss projects that the platforms haven’t officially announced. However, we are fortunate to have a strong pipeline of work. We also have promising projects in the works.”
The duo will cover a wide range of genres, including comedy, melodrama, thriller, and even entertainment shows. Urquidi recalled, “Joshua and I have experienced the challenges of producing 150-episode telenovelas that then require additional episodes due to their popularity. We’re well-versed in crafting such long-form narratives.” She added that they were also pioneers in producing superseries and short series.
While they had been acquainted for years, their professional partnership began around 2010 when Mintz was at Telemundo and Urquidi was at Argos. During their time together, they collaborated on several successful productions, including El Señor de los Cielos, La Doña, and La Patrona.
Both are partners in Atenea Media, although Joshua Mintz jokingly acknowledges Ana Celia as his ‘boss.’ Ana Celia laughs and admits that it was always her aspiration to be Mintz’s boss. They decided to retain the name Atenea Media due to its powerful meaning. Urquidi expressed her admiration for Mintz’s history of working with predominantly female teams. Mintz explained that his preference for working with talented individuals, regardless of gender, has led to organic diversity in his teams.
Ana Lorena Pérez-Ríos, director of the upcoming Max series “Como agua para chocolate,” was present at the event. She emphasized that while today’s partnership announcement is official, their collaboration has been ongoing for many years. “Their long-standing relationship at Atenea is a tremendous asset for producers, directors, and actors, as working with them is an enriching experience. For the industry, such partnerships foster creative, safe, engaging, and innovative work environments. Collaborating with them is a privilege.” Pérez-Ríos, who previously directed “Lalola,” the last project produced by the duo, is currently developing several new projects with them.
