Axel Kuschevatzky

Axel Kuschevatzky is a veteran movie producer with more than 80 feature credits. In November 2019 he teamed with producers Phin Glynn and Cindy Teperman to launch L.A, London and Buenos Aires-based company Infinity Hill to develop and produce both feature films and TV series. Among their first projects are "The Doorman," starring Ruby Rose and Jean Reno, directed by Ryûhei Kitamura; the Berlin Film Festival contender "The Intruder" and the hit TV series "Staged", for BBC One starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen. Kuschevatzky has an extensive background in film journalism, TV production and scriptwriting. He was associate producer of Juan José Campanella's acclaimed feature "The Secret in Their Eyes" (El Secreto de sus ojos, 2009), Oscar-winner picture in the of Best Foreign language category in 2010. "The Secret in Their Eyes" sold more than 2.500.000 tickets in Argentina (breaking a 35 year old record) and 1.000.000 admissions in Spain. It also won two Goya awards; Best Latin-American Picture and Best Newcomer actress (Soledad Villamil), with seven other nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Among other previous awards were nine Clarín(including Best Picture), thirteen Sur awards from the Argentinean's Academy of Motion Pictures, five awards at La Habana Film Festival (including the Audience Award), and a nomination an Ariel as Best Spanish-Speaking feature from Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas. The film was released in the US by Sony Pictures and it was sold to more than 15 countries including UK, Germany, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, France and Italy. He was also associate producer of "The Widows of Thursdays" (Las Viudas de Los Jueves, 2009), Marcelo Piñeyro's thriller based on the best seller written by Claudia Piñeiro and starring Pablo Echarri, Leonardo Sbaraglia and Ernesto Alterio; and also produced the animated movie "Plumíferos - Aventuras Voladores" (2010), the first feature made with open source software featuring the voices of Luisana Lopilato and Mariano Martínez. In March 2009 he became head of film production at Telefé, Argentina's biggest TV network. Since 2004 Axel has been the co-host of CNN/TNT's Latin-American Oscar preshow along Ana Maria Montero. CNN/TNT's Latin-American Oscar preshow is seen by more than 120 million people in the region, from Puerto Rico to Tierra del Fuego. Axel Kuschevatzky was born in the Almagro neighborhood in Buenos Aires in October 1972. His mother is a child psychologist and his father a pediatrician and piano player. He studied copywriting and did appear as a teenager on TV answering about Horror Movies in a Quiz Show. After that he was the host of a weekly movie series, Cine Bizarro in the local cable network CV 5, and was part of the prestigious interview show "Los Hacedores", focused on performing and visual arts. Axel defines himself as a movie reporter and not as a film critic, more of a movie buff. He also hosted movie shows in Argentina like "Alucine" (América TV), "Cinescape" (CVN), "Apasionados: El especial" (2002), "Telefé Cortos", and presented weekly series "Terrormania" (Telefé), and "Nosotros También Nos Equivocamos" (Telefé), two Oscar specials for Canal 9, and movie features in "América Noticias", "Telefé Noticias", "Zoo" (América TV), and "Maru a la Tarde" (Telefé), besides doing interviews and TV specials. He also interviewed filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood, James Cameron, George Lucas, Sam Raimi, M. Night Shyamalan, John Woo, John Lasseter; actors Nicolas Cage, Christian Slater, Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, Willem Dafoe, Kurt Russell, Ewan McGregor, Will Smith, Viggo Mortensen, Chris O'Donell, Adam West, Martin Landau, Robin Williams, Danny de Vito, Edward Norton, Dustin Hoffman, Samuel Jackson, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Tom Hanks, Daniel Radcliffe, Ruppert Gint, Richard Harris, Sharon Stone, Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock, Mark Wahlberg, Guy Pierce, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Keanu Reeves, Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Matt Damon, among many others. He co-adapted the scripts for "La Niñera", based on the US hit show "The Nanny". It was the first sit-com made in Latin-America, co-produced by Sony y Telefé Contenidos, winner of the Clarín award as best TV comedy in 2004. For the same companies - Sony y Telefé Contenidos - he co-adapted "Married with Children" into the hugely successful "Casados Con Hijos", winner of the Martin Fierro award as best comedy in 2005 and also nominated for the Clarín Award. Both sitcoms were broadcasted in Venezuela, Spain, Perú and Puerto Rico. He was Telefé's head producer for "Fear Factor" (Factor Miedo). He also acted in small roles in shorts and features like "Ceibo y Taba" (2002), "Plan" (2000), "Graciadió" (1997) y "No seas cruel" (1996, both directed by Raúl Perrone), "Who Is Alejandro Chomski?" (2002, along Emir Kusturica, Julie Delpy and Jim Jarmush) and in the telefilm "Manos libres - El caso del bebé de los Perales" (2005, directed by Carlos Sorín). He played the voice of the character "Jay Limo" in the Argentinean Spanish dubbing of "Cars" (2006). Was interviewed for the documentary "Biography - Adam West: Behind the Cowl" (2000) for US cable network A&E. Since 1995 have been editor and publisher of the movie magazine "La Cosa", the longest running of its kind in Spanish. He also wrote for newspapers like "Clarín", "La Nación" and "El Cronista Comercial", and magazines like "Playboy", "Miradas", "Veintitrés", "RSVP", "Madhouse", and "El Lápiz Japonés" among others. His radio work includes "El León de la Metro", along Bebé Sanzo and Ronnie Arias, "La Cornisa" with Luis Majul, and "Cambio de Aire", with Román Lejtman. He also did research for the books "Un Diccionario de Cine Argentino" and "Un Diccionario de Cine Argentino, Volumen 2", written by Raúl Manrupe and María Alejandra Portela. Axel won the journalism award TEA Estimulo, has been jury for the Clarín Cine awards, film and creative consultant for Telefé since 2000 and jury of the 3º Festival Nacional De Cine Con Vecinos in Saladillo. Axel Kuschevatzky lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, son and daughter.