Canana Films is a Mexican film and television production company and former distributor. Founded in 2005, Canana is focused on Latin American-focused projects in Spanish and English and became one of Mexico's leading producer-distributors during the late 2000s/early 2010s. Canana has been inactive since 2020.

Among their best known productions are Cary Joji Fukunaga's Sin nombre (2009), the action thriller Miss Bala (2011) and its 2019 American adaptation, the Oscar-nominated drama No (2012), the comedy Rudo y Cursi (2006), and the biopic Cesar Chavez (2014).

Profile Canana was founded in 2005 by Mexican actors Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna and producer Pablo Cruz. García Bernal and Luna departed the company in 2018, with Cruz and Arturo Sampson providing leadership. García Bernal and Luna subsequently founded their studio La Corriente del Golfo. Cruz went on to co-found the international production studio El Estudio in 2020.

In 2005, they partnered with Focus Features for worldwide film rights. Beginning in 2007, Canana began distributing films in Mexico focusing on both promoting Mexican and international independent film around the country. The company "pioneered upscale VOD, genre pic and indie 3D movie distribution in Mexico."

2010 was an important year for Canana: they produced their first commercial hit, Abel directed by Luna, and significantly ramped up their film distribution. That same year, it joined Golden Phoenix Productions to jointly produce a number of television documentaries about the unsolved murders of around three hundred women in the border city of Ciudad Juárez. In 2011, they made their first big television deal with Netflix picking up their original series Soy tu fan.

In 2012, a new global deal was made with IM Global, launching the joint venture Mundial to promote worldwide sales of Latin American movies. In 2013, Canana joined Participant Media's five-year production deal Participant PanAmerica; their first project was the film No starring García Bernal which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Also in 2013, the company launch a branded content division.

Canana has had multiple collaborations with directors like Mariana Chenillo and Gerardo Naranjo, among others.

Filmography Adapted from company website and IMDb.

Films Dance of the 41 (Netflix; 2020) Miss Bala (2019) Zama (2017) Salt and Fire (2016) Mr. Pig (2016) The Chosen Ones (2016) Eva Doesn't Sleep (2015) Sand Dollars (2014) The Ardor (2014) César Chávez (2014) Carmita (2013) The Well (2013) La última película (2013) Paradise (2013) Who is Dayani Cristal? (2013) Come Out and Play (2012) No (2012) Verdaderamente Durazo (2011) (2010) 18 cigarrillos y medio (2010) Post Mortem (2010) Cefalópodo (2010) Revolución (2010) Abel (2010) Sin Nombre (2009) Rudo y Cursi (2008) Just Walking (2008) I'm Gonna Explode (2008) Cochochi (2007) Déficit (2007) El búfalo de la noche (2007) J.C. Chávez (2007) Drama/Mex (2006)

Short films

Nana (2015) Drifting (2013) Puente Baluarte (2013) Los Invisibles (2010) Samantha (2010)

Television

Taco Chronicles (Netflix; 2019–2020) Luis Miguel: The Series (Netflix/Telemundo; 2018–2021) Niño Santo (Once TV; 2011–014) Alguien Más (Once TV; 2013) Fronteras (TNT Latin America; 2011) Soy tu fan (Once TV/MTV Latin America; 2010–2012) Back Home (2013) Ruta 32 (2006)

Film distribution Canana distributed a number of international films to Mexican theaters, particularly during the late 2000s. List adapted from the company website and IMDb. I Am Not Your Negro (2016) – United States All Is Lost (2013) – United States Gloria (2013) – Chile The Empty Hours (2013) – Mexico The Life After (2013) – Mexico We Are What We Are (2013) – United States Workers (2013) – Mexico Never Die (2012) – Mexico The Hunt (2012) – Denmark No quiero dormir sola (2012) – Mexico A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (2012) – United States Searching for Sugarman (2012) The Loneliest Planet (2011) – Germany/United States Juan de los muertos (2011) – Cuba Pina (2011) – Germany Monsieur Lazhar (2011) – Canada The Prize (2011) – Germany Cheburashka (2010) – Russia We Are What We Are (2010) – Mexico Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) – Canada The Robber (2010) – Germany Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) – United States/United Kingdom Año bisiesto (2010) – Mexico Seguir siendo: Café Tacvba (2010) – Mexico The Loved Ones (2009) – Australia Lebanon (2009) – Israel The Horde (2009) – France Rompecabezas (2009) – Argentina The Loved Ones (2009) – Australia Ajami (2009) – Israel The White Ribbon (2009) – Germany/Austria Same Same but Different (2009) – Germany Castaway on the Moon (2009) – South Korea Fish Tank (2009) – United Kingdom Thirst (2009) – South Korea The Toledo Report (2009) – Mexico The Milk of Sorrow (2009) – Peru Coming Soon (2008) – Thailand Troubled Water (2008) – Norway La vida loca (2008) – El Salvador Food, Inc. (2008) – United States Tony Manero (2008) – Chile Gomorrah (2008) – Italy Let the Right One In (2008) – Sweden Man on Wire (2008) – United States Sunshine Cleaning (2008) – United States My Life Inside (2007) – Mexico Joy Division (2007) – United Kingdom Mister Lonely (2007) – United Kingdom Used Parts (2007) – Mexico Year of the Nail (2007) – Mexico The Big Sellout (2007) – Germany Cocalero (2007) – Argentina The Signal (2007) – United States Familia tortuga (2006) – Mexico The Violin (2005) – Mexico

References

External links Canana Films Webpage