Ben Odell - CEO of 3Pas Studios with Eugenio Derbez

Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa

Happy Tuesday! It’s November 21st, my favorite day of the year because it's my birthday! It’s a treat to share this episode with 3Pas CEO, Ben Odell with you as I celebrate another revolution around the sun.

Ben grew up in the U.S. before packing up and moving to Colombia in his 20s. After finding success as a writer, his producorial pursuits led him back to the states where he joined forces with the legendary Mexican director and comedian, Eugenio Derbez, to create 3Pas.

Their film, RADICAL, winner of the 2023 Sundance Festival Favorite Award, is in theaters now. The film, inspired by a Wired Magazine article by Joshua Davis, follows the 6th grade students at Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary in Mexico, who are among the worst performing students in the country. Everything changes when teacher Sergio Juarez (Eugenio Derbez) arrives with an outside-the-box approach, opening their minds and changing their hearts forever.

Here are my top 3 takeaways from this conversation. What are yours?

• A good marketing plan is just as important as a good story

• The Latinx market can’t be put into a box

• Diversity and inclusion are imperative, but what does thoughtful inclusion actually look like?