Paramount exodus continues as Cristina Alcelay joins European prodco Garbo Produzioni

La Porta Rossa

Cristina Alcelay has become the latest senior exec to depart Paramount in Spain, with the veteran heading to European outfit Garbo Produzioni to lead its scripted output.

Alcelay had been with Paramount for more than 20 years and was most recently director of content & production at Viacom International Studios for Spain, France and Italy, a role she took up in 2019.

Cristina Alcelay

She is now exiting to become head of scripted at Garbo Stories, the Madrid-based division of the Italian-Spanish firm that was launched by Maite Bulgari in 2017.

Alcelay had held a raft of roles across scripted and entertainment at Paramount, including being director of Comedy Central, but will now assist Garbo’s expansion plans.

Bulgari said Alcelay’s “experience in international markets and her undoubted professional skills” would assist the company’s output, which to date has focused on series, docuseries and entertainment series primarily for Italian audience but with “a distinct international vocation”.

Garbo, which has been behind shows including L’Ispettore Coliandro, La Porta Rossa and Il Silenzio Dell’acqua, recently acquired an equity stake in Onza and partnered with the Spanish group to develop projects together.

Yesterday it emerged that Paramount’s former VP of content development for EMEA María Cervera had been appointed as head of content at Cattleya Producciones, the Spanish firm set up by ITV Studios and Italy’s Cattleya (Gomorrah, Suburra) in 2021.

That saw Cervera become the third executive leaving Paramount’s studio in 2023, following Laura Abril, currently EVP of scripted and global business development at Buendía Estudios, and Berta Orozco, Mediacrest’s head of International sales & co-productions.