MIA Kicks Off 11th Edition in Rome

Gaia Tridente, director of MIA (Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo), tells World Screen Newsflash about how the annual event has grown and evolved as it kicks off its 11th edition in Rome.

WS: How has MIA grown over the years?
TRIDENTE: MIA—Rome International Audiovisual Market—was established 11 years ago through the joint commitment of ANICA (Italian Association of Film, Audiovisual and Digital Industries) and APA (Italian Audiovisual Producers Association). Today, it stands as one of Europe’s leading hubs for networking, co-production and the development of audiovisual content on a global scale.

Over the past 11 years, we’ve strengthened our editorial approach with programmed showcases, pitching forums and closed-door meetings that connect the right projects with the right partners. Each section is curated to prioritize quality over quantity, pairing creative ambition with concrete market pathways (co-production, financing, packaging, international roll-out).

In short, MIA has grown both as a market and as an industry gathering with a curatorial backbone: a B2B hub where discovery, deal-making and long-term collaboration happen in the same room, and where the next wave of stories finds its first champions. MIA has evolved deliberately, not into a muscular trade fair but into a place where the audiovisual industry comes to discover new stories across the entire pipeline—from development and production to distribution and finished titles ready for sale.

WS: Amid the challenges in the media business, how is MIA positioning itself as a hub for networking, decision-making and dialogue about the future of the business?TRIDENTE: We refresh our programs every year, renewing formats and sections to keep them aligned with the deal flow, while our editorial team conducts ongoing, targeted scouting and research to surface the most promising projects, partners and ideas. We track and anticipate market trends—from financing and co-production models to AI, XR, animation pipelines and new windows—and translate those insights into purpose-built spaces: tightly programmed pitching forums, invite-only working sessions and public conversations that move from vision to execution.

WS: How do you see attendance shaping up this year? Are there genres or territories where you are seeing increased attendance?
TRIDENTE: We don’t expect a major spike in overall numbers; attendance should remain broadly in line with last year. What’s changing is the mix: we’re seeing strong interest from new market segments—especially the publishing industry—thanks to the launch of the Book Adaptation Forum. This program is attracting publishers, literary agents and rights managers who typically don’t attend audiovisual markets, creating fresh intersections with producers and distributors. In terms of genres, documentary and factual and animation remain solid, while drama continues to be the primary engine of European dealmaking. In short: stable volume, wider ecosystem.

WS: Tell us about some of the themes you are exploring as part of the conference agenda.
TRIDENTE: We’re doubling down on a curated, market-facing agenda: alongside data-driven conversations on financing, distribution and emerging tech, we’re hosting closed-door EBU meetings with Europe’s public broadcasters (France Télévisions, ZDF, RAI, YLE, NRK, DR, SVT), plus a new Children’s Pubcasters Summit with leaders from BBC, HR/ARD, France Télévisions, RTVE/Clan and Rai Kids. On innovation, our AI workshops focus on practical pipelines, while in the factual field, we spotlight global growth with Blue Ant Media, ITV Studios Global Distribution and Banijay. We’re also expanding industry ties through award partnerships—for the first time this year, we’ll present the Sony Pictures Television Prize to a project from the Drama Co-Production Market.