David Martínez, CEO of Raindance, and Jacky Orozco, his production company, have launched Casa Leo PR, a boutique advertising and strategy agency and a much-needed addition to the independent scene in Europe and Latin America.

Casa Leo PR, based in London, offers “customized, end-to-end public relations, strategic guidance and in-house productions to a select number of films, filmmakers and their partners to navigate film festivals and awards seasons, from initial presentation to final screening,” Martínez said. Variety.

“We are also excited to offer our film festival consultancy to other festivals such as the UK chapter of HollyShorts, whilst continuing my work with London Flair PR as an awards consultant. We are here to collaborate in a truly symbiotic way,” Martinez added.

“This is an exciting time to support films and filmmakers in a truly global festival landscape,” he said.

The launch of Casa Leo PR comes when presence at the festival has become a vital necessity for filmmakers trapped by a paradox. The number of films produced in the world has increased, not decreased, since COVID, from an average of 7,677 in 2017-19 to 7,707 in 2025, according to the European Audiovisual Observatory’s Focus Report.

However, the global box office plunged 18% to €29.6 billion ($34 billion), although 2026 looks like a better year, in part due to the revelation of the micro-budget genre “Obsession.” In television, first broadcast commissions continue to be 25% lower at television peaks, reports Ampere Analysis.

Many producers, trapped in the tunnel of making films, have little time or experience to take advantage of festivals to break through the crowd, where immersion in a knowledge economy is the key to success.

Making a list of the best Academy Award finalists delights producers. But they may also realize that they have no idea how to generate chances of a nomination.

Martínez joined Raindance in 2012 as part of the programming team for Latin American territories, later becoming a festival producer before his appointment as executive director in 2021.

Orozco worked in the cultural department of the Mexican Embassy in London, where his passion for cultural events and diplomacy flourished, helping to connect filmmakers, institutions and audiences. She has served as producer of the Raindance festival since summer 2023.

Both Martínez and Orozco are bilingual and bicultural. “We opened Casa Leo PR because we saw independent filmmakers struggling to connect the dots. I have been immersed and built trusting relationships with programmers, the press and industry stakeholders at major local and global festivals, not only in Europe, but also in Latin America. We have accumulated a lot of knowledge that we want to share and use, which can be of great use to filmmakers,” said Martínez Variety.

“Independent filmmakers are very afraid to even think about the costs of awards campaigns,” he added. Casa Leo PR can explain to them what they should do, where they should send their applications, what programs they need to know about, what type of press they need during that time.”

Casa Leo PR’s main client base is independent filmmakers from anywhere in the world and also Latin American filmmakers looking to access the European festival circuit.

Mexicans Martínez and Orozco have begun working with Mexican Humberto Busto, who stood out as an actor with Gael García Bernal in “Amores Perros,” but is now seeking on-the-ground support at the upcoming Venice Festival for his Venice University Biennale title “Tijuana Still,” which he produced.

Casa Leo PR also recently worked with Netflix on a special screening in London of Maite Alberdi’s upcoming Mexican documentary, “A Child of My Own.”

In-House Production and Events oversees the concept, production and on-site management of film galas, premieres, special events and industry activations.

Casa Leo PR aims to design personalized strategies, ensuring that films reach the right people at the right time and in the right way, Martínez and Orozco said. It starts with just five clients, plus Netflix, a very select number.

“At Casa Leo PR, we see each film as a unique story with its own path to the audience,” Orozco said. “Our role is to walk that path together with filmmakers and partners, aligning strategy and execution on the ground so that festival trips feel intentional, impactful and creatively true to the work.

“’Casa’ means ‘house’ or ‘home’ in Spanish,” he added. “We are both Latin, but we have lived in the UK for a long time, so we can provide a homely welcome to Latin American filmmakers, but also to independent filmmakers from the UK and beyond.”