Markets

The tenth edition of Conecta will honor Variety journalist John Hopewell with the Conecta Honor Award, recognizing his influential career in international audiovisual journalism. The ceremony will take place during the event in Magaluf, Mallorca, scheduled from May 25 to 28, 2026. As International Features Editor for Variety, Hopewell has spent over forty years highlighting global film and television industries, particularly those in Spain, Europe, and Latin America.

Born in the United Kingdom and educated at the University of Oxford, Hopewell began his career in the late 1970s. Before joining Variety in 1994, he collaborated with outlets such as Sight and Sound, the BBC, Screen International, and Moving Pictures. Throughout his trajectory, he has been a key figure in giving visibility to emerging talent and diverse cinematographies beyond traditional major hubs.

Upon learning of the award, Hopewell said: "I have been extremely fortunate. Carlos Saura once recalled a Chinese proverb stating that work is what involves suffering. In that sense, I have spent my life not working, but pursuing a passion: recalibrating the importance of other film and television industries and cultures beyond the United States and the United Kingdom."

He also emphasized that he views the award as a recognition that goes beyond the personal: "I receive this award as a broader recognition of my colleagues, of the journalists I have shared my profession with, and of film and television journalism in general, which decades ago was somewhat marginalized and today is vital in a world with so much 'noise.'"

Géraldine Gonard, director of Conecta Magaluf-Mallorca, added: "John Hopewell has been, for decades, one of those indispensable voices for all of us working in this industry. His perspective, rigorous, curiously global, and uncompromising, has opened many doors for talent and connected cinematographies around the world. For Spain, Ibero-America, and the entire European audiovisual ecosystem, he has been a steadfast and, I believe, indispensable ally. Recognizing his career is, for CONECTA, a tribute full of gratitude to someone who has transformed the way we see and tell our industry’s story."