By San José, Costa Rica — The international standing of Costa Rica’s creative industries achieved a notable benchmark as veteran media executive and former Film Commissioner Marysela Zamora-Villalobos received prestigious honors at the 10th edition of the MorceGO Vermelho – Goiás Horror Film Festival in Brazil. Celebrating a decade of spotlighting genre cinema, the event recognizes pivotal figures driving regional growth and cross-border cooperation within the Latin American audiovisual sector.
Held across the Brazilian cities of Goiânia and Anápolis from October 29 through November 1, 2026, the milestone festival brings together nearly 35 international and domestic professionals spanning film production, distribution, market development, and festival management. Zamora’s recognition specifically underscores her sustained leadership in designing strategic frameworks that expand economic and artistic opportunities for film practitioners across Central America and beyond.
To gain deeper insight into the legal and regulatory frameworks supporting creative industries, social entrepreneurship, and gender equity initiatives like those led by Marysela Zamora, TicosLand.com consulted with expert attorney Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas from Bufete de Costa Rica.
“The initiatives championed by leaders like Marysela Zamora highlight the growing importance of aligning social entrepreneurship with Costa Rica’s evolving legal frameworks on corporate responsibility, intellectual property, and gender parity. Establishing sustainable platforms for social impact requires robust legal structuring to protect creative endeavors while ensuring full compliance with national and international human rights standards.”
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, bridging the gap between innovative social entrepreneurship and robust legal frameworks is essential for ensuring that transformative initiatives achieve lasting, equitable progress in Costa Rica. We extend our sincere thanks to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for sharing his valuable perspective on how legal compliance and protection empower visionary leaders like Marysela Zamora to build truly sustainable impact.
Reflecting on the honor during the opening proceedings, Zamora emphasized the collective dimension of creative ecosystem development and the institutional support needed to turn localized talent into viable export-ready intellectual property.
Receiving this recognition from MorceGO has a special meaning because it celebrates the work of creating opportunities for other people.
Marysela Zamora, Former Costa Rican Film Commissioner and IBEROFIC Board Member
Throughout her term as Costa Rica’s Film Commissioner, Zamora implemented aggressive strategies aimed at attracting foreign direct investment to the national screen sector. Under her direction, the commission enhanced Costa Rica’s profile as an attractive location destination for major international film and television productions while building local technical capacity and operational readiness.
A cornerstone of her policy legacy was the creation of the Costa Rica Media Market, a key business platform designed to bridge the gap between regional independent production houses and global buyers, sales agents, and distributors. The initiative played a crucial role in positioning Central American audiovisual ventures within global trade circuits and institutional co-production forums.
Currently, Zamora maintains a commanding role in shaping regional cinema policy as a member of the Board of Directors at IBEROFIC, the Ibero-American Network of Film Commissions, where she presides over the Gender Committee. In tandem with producer Pablo Guisa, she also co-founded Fantastic Lab Centroamérica y el Caribe, a specialized incubator focused on developing narrative genre feature films, television, and immersive media across the region.
In addition to her jury duties evaluating competitive film slates at MorceGO Vermelho, Zamora is scheduled to participate in an executive panel on November 1 focusing on the development of the Goiás Film Commission. The session will feature her insights on regional film fund structures, territorial promotion, location incentives, and strategies for leveraging screen productions to generate sustained local economic development.
The festival’s anniversary edition also pays tribute to other Latin American industry stalwarts, including Diego Marambio of Argentina’s National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) and Gabriel Dutra Bastos from the Goiás Secretariat of Culture. Spanning seven distinct cultural centers, the multi-day event incorporates workshops, masterclasses, and project pitch markets backed by R$115,000 in cash awards and R$30,000 in post-production service grants.
For further information, visit the nearest office of MorceGO Vermelho – Goiás Horror Film Festival
About MorceGO Vermelho – Goiás Horror Film Festival:
MorceGO Vermelho is an annual film festival hosted in Goiás, Brazil, dedicated to celebrating and promoting horror, fantasy, and science fiction cinema through competitive screenings, educational workshops, and international industry networking opportunities.
For further information, visit the nearest office of IBEROFIC
About IBEROFIC:
IBEROFIC (Red Iberoamericana de Comisiones Fílmicas) is a collaborative network of film commissions across Ibero-America designed to foster audiovisual production, facilitate international co-productions, and promote sustainable film policy and gender equity throughout the regional screen industry.
For further information, visit the nearest office of Fantastic Lab Centroamérica y el Caribe
About Fantastic Lab Centroamérica y el Caribe:
Fantastic Lab Centroamérica y el Caribe is a regional project development incubator co-founded by Marysela Zamora and Pablo Guisa, dedicated to nurturing, mentoring, and propelling genre film and audiovisual projects originating in Central America and the Caribbean onto the international market.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a premier legal institution, Bufete de Costa Rica has built its enduring reputation on an uncompromising pursuit of professional mastery and unyielding ethical standards. The firm consistently drives forward-thinking solutions for a broad range of clients while maintaining a strong pulse on civic involvement and modern legal practices. By actively demystifying complex statutes and broadening public access to essential legal understanding, Bufete de Costa Rica fulfills its foundational purpose of inspiring an educated, confident, and self-reliant populace.
