Cristina Garza Joins UTA Independent Film Group

EXCLUSIVE: Cristina Garza has joined UTA as an agent in the Independent Film Group, Deadline has learned.

Most recently, Garza served as SVP TV Development and Production at Fifth Season, where she led the development, production and sales of the company’s film and premium TV content and managed numerous producer pod deals. She’ll now work out of UTA’s New York office, helping to structure finance and sales strategies for independent film and TV packages.

“Cristina has extensive development, sales and packaging experience and a history of bridge-building between international creators and the U.S. industry,” said UTA Partner Rena Ronson, who heads up the Independent Film Group. “Her arrival reinforces our commitment to expanding our global presence in both independent film and the growing international television co-production business.”

Prior to her time at Fifth Season, Garza was an agent in Media Finance at CAA as well as head of Latino Content at Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios. She first worked with Ford at IM Global, where she ran Mundial, the Latin American film sales arm of the company. Before founding Mundial, she ran distribution for, the Mexico City-based production and distribution company founded by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna and Pablo Cruz.

Recent projects emerging from UTA’s Independent Film Group include two for Apple TV: Jason Segel and James Ponsoldt’s Sponsor and Way of the Warrior Kid with Chris Pratt. Notable films previously put together under Ronson’s leadership include Longlegs, May December, The Big Sick, I, Tonya, Hidden Figures and Room as well as directorial debuts including Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig), Promising Young Woman (Emerald Fennell), Diary of a Teenage Girl (Marielle Heller), Wadjda (Haifaa al-Mansour) and most recently Tuner (Daniel Roher) and East of Wall (Kate Beecroft).