NewEnglandFilm.com

Juan Mandelbaum founded Massachusetts’s first independent Latino media company, Geovision, Inc., in 1989. Mandelbaum, who has worked in media production for over twenty years, says that he wanted to utilize his "knowledge of different cultures to create effective and entertaining messages." He succeeded by specializing in multilingual and multicultural production.

The Watertown, Massachusetts-based Geovision has produced many public health campaigns, documentaries, and independent productions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The company earned two Emmys for its public health campaigns, and has aired radio and television campaigns on tobacco and abstinence. Its radio spots include campaigns related to teen pregnancy, and breast and cervical education. Non-actors are used to make the messages more powerful and poignant. An award-winning example is a public service announcement in which a 39-year-old man, who lost his voice to throat cancer, speaks through a voice simulator about the terrible consequences of smoking cigarettes.

"A New World of Music," "Ringl and Pit" and "In Women’s Hands," and segments for "Sesame Street," are just a few of Geovision’s documentaries and independent productions, which have aired on PBS, screened at festivals, and been distributed worldwide. In "A New World of Music," the New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra visits Argentina and Chile, where they explore new lands and make new friends. "Ringl and Pit" is a profile of two Jewish photographers, Grete Stern and Ellen Auerbach, who fled Germany when the Nazis came to power and resided in New York and Argentina. "In Women’s Hands" describes the changing roles of Latin-American women and their participation in public life over the past 20 years. For "Sesame Street," Geovision produced short segments on Chinese acrobats, chocolate and toothpaste factories, and the different forms of "Aqua" (in Spanish), amongst others.

The company also produces cultural adaptations of advertisements, including McDonalds and Volkswagen commercials using actors who speak Spanish and Portuguese. Since a literal translation of a television commercial is sometimes impossible, dubbing is not always an option.

Geovision has won many awards for its outstanding work and dedication to the minority community, including the Boston-New England Emmy Award, Gabriel Award, National Daytime Emmy, and two Golden City Awards (International Association of Audio Visual Communicators). Mandelbaum is also active in pro bono work, and likes to help Latino organizations become more involved in their community.

By creating multilingual and multicultural programming, Geovision has been able to broadcast for local, national and international audiences. PBS, WGBH (Boston), NHK-TV (Japan), WNET (New York), Channel Four (England), and DRS (Switzerland) are just a few of the stations for which Geovision has channeled its inspiring and educational messages.