Emilio Guede Fernández passes

Emilio Guede Fernández, a pioneer of advertising film production in Puerto Rico, died in Miami last Saturday, July 28th, at the age 90. He was the founder of Guede Films, in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, a company that opened up offices in New York to service the U.S. Hispanic Market and had offices in Guatemala, Colombia and Panama. Guede was a cinematographer who worked as director and photographer on many television spots for many ad agencies in Puerto Rico, Latin America and the United States. A list of his commercials or those produced by his company includes brands such as AT&T, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Banco Popular and many others.

Although born in Cuba, Guede lived most of his life in Puerto Rico, the island he called “my other motherland”. In Cuba he had started his career as an advertising copywriter. Working at Siboney under the well-known Cubas (Gustavo and José Manuel) who pioneered advertising in Havana. He was also known as a writer and an entrepreneur who helped create an encyclopedia of Cuba even though he was a political exile in Puerto Rico. Additionally, he was the founder of Producciones Avant Garde in Venezuela and Guede Films Dominicana in the Dominican Republic. During 1986-1996, he was a director of Eurobank. Among his survivors are his son Emilio Guede García, a director of photography who has collaborated with many ad agencies in our market; and his daughters Elena, Alicia y Marimely.

Editor’s note: I met Emilio many years ago in Puerto Rico. He loved our island and helped grow the advertising industry there. He was a mentor to many. (Gene Bryan)