Leon and his team will train local staff and coordinate all of the company's production in the region. "Ben has shared with me many awards over the years," said Raging Stallion principal Chris Ward. "He is one of the industry's top directing talents. I decided that sending him to Argentina to shoot high-quality films will offer our customers very exciting product."
Leon tested the waters earlier this month when he traveled to Buenos Aires with Raging Stallion photographer and studio partner Kent Taylor to shoot their debut all-male film in the region.
Featured players in that film include fan-favorite performers Pedro Andreas, Daniel Marvin and Max Schutler, among a cast of nine.
The studio is currently set up to produce between four and six films per year, which will be folded into the planned Raging Stallion release schedule of 65 movies in 2009, and 75 movies in 2010.
"Directing in a foreign country is a thrill and a challenge," Leon said. "Buenos Aires is a huge city spreading forever across the flat land of Argentina and spilling onto the coast. The city is ripe and vibrant, and I hope to capture the beauty of South America. I look forward to expanding my reach as a director, not to mention brushing up on my Spanish."
Last week, AEBN/NakedSword announced a merger with Raging Stallion/Pistol Media to create one of the industry's largest gay adult production and distribution entities.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based AEBN.net merged with San Francisco VOD network NakedSword.com in January 2007.
Last year, Raging Stallion purchased Eastern European production label High Octane, and has partnered with Australian content provider Pistol Media since 2005 on a wide variety of niche sites including HairyBoyz.com, FistingCentral.com and SexGaymes.tv.
Ben Leon recently shared — with Chris Ward and Tony Dimarco — in the XBIZ Award for GLBT Director of the Year while AEBN earned a trophy for VOD Company of the Year.
