Canana
Canana is a Mexico City-based film and television production company founded in 2005 that develops Latin American-origin content for international audiences, producing both Spanish and English-language projects through co-production partnerships and the international film festival circuit.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMexico City, Mexico
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Canana does
Canana is a privately held film and television production company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. The company develops and produces content originating from Latin America with a stated objective of achieving international projection, producing projects in both English and Spanish. Its portfolio spans two product lines: feature films, exemplified by 'Las Elegidas' (2015), a Mexico-France co-production with Manny Films directed by David Pablos; and television productions, exemplified by 'Cronicas del Taco' (2015), a series exploring Mexican gastronomic culture. The company explicitly positions itself as a bridge between Spanish-speaking audiences and other international markets, with a mission to develop lesser-known Latin American creative talent while respecting cultural context and director vision.
The business model is project-based, generating revenue through one-time licensing arrangements for film and television content distributed via international film festival circuits, theatrical release, and presumably downstream distribution and streaming agreements. The go-to-market approach is event-driven: productions are launched through premieres at international festivals such as Cannes (where 'Las Elegidas' was selected for Un Certain Regard in 2015) and San Sebastián, with subsequent visibility through award circuits including the Ariel Awards (five wins including Best Picture and Best Director), Goya nominations, and Platino nominations. This festival-to-award pipeline serves as both marketing and distribution mechanism.
Canana operates with a small team (11-50 employees) from a single Mexico City location. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no M&A activity, and no public revenue figures. Its core competitive positioning rests on authentic Latin American storytelling, strategic international co-productions, and a track record of award-recognized content rather than proprietary technology or scaled distribution infrastructure. The company has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, or technology platform — it operates as a traditional creative production house.
Canana firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Canana
- Legal name
- Canana
- Website
- https://canana.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Canana is a Mexico City-based film and television production company founded in 2005 that develops Latin American-origin content for international audiences, producing both Spanish and English-language projects through co-production partnerships and the international film festival circuit.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Canana industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film and Television Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production (MPADABAG)
Keywords
Where Canana is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mexico City
- HQ country
- Mexico
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Canana business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Film Production: Production of feature films for theatrical release and international distribution
- Television Production: Development and production of television content
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Canana product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Canana is a Mexico City-based film and television production company that develops and produces Latin American-origin projects, including English- and Spanish-language productions, with the objective of supporting Latin American talent and bringing those stories to international audiences. The company operates two main product lines: feature film production (e.g., "Las Elegidas") and television production (e.g., "Cronicas del Taco"), delivered through co-production partnerships (e.g., Manny Films for France-Mexico projects) and distributed via international film festivals and licensing arrangements.
Product overview
Canana is a film and television production company based in Mexico City that develops Latin American-origin projects with international projection, including both English and Spanish-language productions. The company operates two main product lines: television productions (such as 'Cronicas del Taco') and film productions (such as 'Las Elegidas'). The objective is to develop projects that support talent while respecting cultural context and director vision, serving as a bridge between Spanish-speaking audiences and other international markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Las Elegidas A 2015 feature film directed by David Pablos about two teenagers who fall into the hands of human traffickers. Produced as a Mexican-French co-production between Canana and Manny Films; 105 minutes, in color, with screenplay by David Pablos based on an original idea by Jorge Volpi. Distributed internationally following festival premiere.
- Cronicas del Taco A television production that presents the history of tacos as Mexico's gastronomic symbol, showcasing the most representative tacos of the country and their cultural importance.
Companies that use Canana
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Canana technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Canana partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Manny FilmscoreManny Films is a French production company that co-produced 'Las Elegidas' with Canana. This represents a strategic co-production partnership between Mexico and France, enabling cross-border collaboration and international distribution for Latin American content.
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Canana competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Participant Media: U.S. production company focused on socially conscious, internationally themed feature films and series. Comparable as a much larger independent producer that often acquires or co-produces LATAM-international content similar to Canana's niche.
- A24: U.S. independent film production and distribution company with a similar auteur-driven, festival-to-platform pipeline model and prestige positioning. Comparable as a much larger-scale analog of Canana's model.
Direct peers
- Pimienta Films: Mexican production company producing Spanish-language features and series for theatrical and streaming release. Directly comparable in geography, format mix, and platform-facing positioning.
- El Deseo: Spanish production company founded by Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar, focused on auteur-driven Spanish-language cinema with global festival/awards recognition. Closely comparable in language, auteur focus, and international prestige positioning relative to Canana.
- Manny Films: French production company that co-produced "Las Elegidas" with Canana as a Mexico-France collaboration. Directly comparable as Canana's actual co-production partner with a similar focus on international auteur-driven co-productions.
- Fabula: Chilean independent production company (Pablo Larraín's banner) producing auteur-driven Spanish-language features with international co-production and festival-circuit positioning. Highly comparable business model to Canana in the LATAM independent production space.
- Lemon Films: Mexico City-based independent film and television production company operating across film and TV formats. Directly comparable as a Mexican producer with similar size and format breadth to Canana.
- Producciones Anhelo: Mexican production company founded by Guillermo del Toro, focused on auteur-driven Spanish-language feature films with international co-production. Directly comparable as a Mexico-based independent production house with international prestige and festival-circuit DNA similar to Canana's model.
- Cinesur: Argentine production company producing Spanish-language features with international co-production and festival-circuit distribution. Comparable as a LATAM independent producer in Canana's competitive set.
Regional players
- Wanda Vision: Argentine audiovisual production company developing film and television content for regional and international markets. Comparable as a Spanish-language LATAM production peer with a similar independent positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Canana social profiles
Digital presenceCanana financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Canana leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Canana funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Canana M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Canana
What does Canana do?
Canana is a Mexico City-based film and television production company that develops and produces Latin American-origin projects, including English- and Spanish-language productions, with the objective of supporting Latin American talent and bringing those stories to international audiences. The company operates two main product lines: feature film production (e.g., "Las Elegidas") and television production (e.g., "Cronicas del Taco"), delivered through co-production partnerships (e.g., Manny Films for France-Mexico projects) and distributed via international film festivals and licensing arrangements.
Is Canana a public or private company?
Canana is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Canana founded?
Canana was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Canana based?
Canana is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico, in the Latin America region.
How does Canana make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Film Production is the primary driver. The others are television Production.
Who are Canana's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Participant Media and A24. Direct peers are Pimienta Films, El Deseo, Manny Films, Fabula, Lemon Films, Producciones Anhelo and Cinesur. Wanda Vision is listed as a regional player.
Does Canana have an API?
No public API is recorded for Canana.
What industry is Canana in?
Canana's product category is Film and Television Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAG, Live-Action International/Co-Production & Service Production. Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.