Event Preview: MIA—International Audiovisual Market

Lucia Milazzotto, director of MIA—International Audiovisual Market; Francesco Rutelli, president of ANICA; and Giancarlo Leone, president of APA, talk to TV Drama about the event that is taking place this year in Rome and online from October 13 to 17.

MIA—International Audiovisual Market will highlight projects across the documentary, drama series and film categories. The event aims to facilitate business opportunities for the development and creation of new content for the global market. Now preparing for its seventh edition, MIA has become a major industry event, capable of evolving and growing with the times.

“MIA has tripled the industry presence and activities over the years, but in particular, has proven to be able to embrace and thrive in a fast-changing market environment, often anticipating the needs of the industry,” says Lucia Milazzotto, MIA’s market director. “In addition, MIA has proved—in 2020 more than ever—to stand side-by-side with those players who create, produce and invest in high-end innovative content, becoming, in only six years and almost seven editions, a trendsetting point for the national and international industry.”

MIA, which showcases both scripted and unscripted content for the international market, expects to have in attendance 2,300 industry execs hailing from more than 50 countries in October. “Most of our tailored activities intend to support co-productions and global circulation of Italian, European and international films, drama series, documentaries and factual formats, panels, content showcases and screenings for about 200 sessions in four days,” says Milazzotto. “MIA, however, is mostly a highly selective, welcoming and focused networking hub, held in the most amazing location of Italy’s cultural heritage, where [attendees can] meet the excellencies of the Italian industry and strengthen global relations.”

Created by the APA (Italy’s Association of Audiovisual Producers) and ANICA (Italian Association of Film, Audiovisual and Digital Industry), MIA is a rare example of an audiovisual industry business event born out of a partnership between private and public bodies, says Francesco Rutelli, president of ANICA. “In particular, as a collective entity of the entire value chain—from producers to distributors, from technical industries to sales agents and new players—ANICA, together with APA, directly produces MIA, transferring knowledge, up-to-date information, trends analysis and collective needs of the entire industry,” explains Rutelli. “This approach allows MIA to be a very efficient environment.”

Giancarlo Leone, president of APA, adds, “For APA, MIA is a fundamental project because it has given our industry the opportunity to have a market in its own home, where everybody can get noticed in front of an international audience, and it has offered to global industry workers a showcase of excellence from which to source in order to create large co-productions and important business agreements. For this reason, as an association, we constantly work with promoters and companies to ensure the market a greater increase of its visibility at the international level.”

Together, APA and ANICA are once again joining forces to support the local audiovisual industry. Adapting for the ever-evolving business, ANICA has made modifications to its program, and APA has stepped up to help create Covid-19 safety protocols and continued to support international relations.

“ANICA has been making an important transformation, aiming to best represent the new structure of the entire value chain and respond to the rising needs of the industry to find new and efficient tools in our transformative market environment,” says Rutelli. “ANICA, therefore, has redesigned and implemented its sections, now representing the interests of the whole Italian market, upcoming players included: producers, film publishers and distributors, technical industries, media companies, sales agents, digital publishers and creators. A new structure intended to find common solutions to face the upcoming international competitive challenges.”

APA’s Leone notes, “We are the most representative association in the audiovisual field and we have always played a key role for the independent producers industry, but it is certain that APA has become a pillar of the sector in this complex period, as never before. It has been a pillar by cooperating for the creation of an anti-Covid protocol on sets and by carrying out the protection of the industry with institutions, broadcasters and platforms. It is also a pillar in international relations, as demonstrated by MIA, an adventure shared with ANICA, but also by the recent AVPSummit, realized with the Lucana Film Commission and with the Producers Guild Association.”

In 2020, when the global spread of Covid-19 led to travel restrictions across international borders and lockdown restrictions at the local level, MIA was one of many markets that had to adjust to business amid a pandemic. For 2021, the market is offering attendees a hybrid model. “MIA 2020 was one of the most challenging and important editions of MIA,” says Milazzotto. “In the midst of the pandemic, MIA has been the first hybrid market, giving the industry a safe environment to meet again ‘mask-to-mask’ and face together the risks of localization and isolation, finding solutions and relaunching the business.

“In addition, the challenges of 2020 have given MIA the opportunity to develop its integrated digital market environment. The 2021 edition will now capitalize on this amazing experience and will present an empowered double-environment event, giving industry players the safest environment in Rome to make their business and a digital platform to enrich their experience, before, during and after the market.”

MIA’s drama initiatives include a division led by Gaia Tridente that is securing the presence of international scripted producers, commissioners, distributors and talent. “In the effort of supporting the entire global scripted ecosystem that in a year like no other before has rapidly changed and adapted to new business models facing the new consuming habits and new production schemes, MIA has established a Scripted Division focusing on global drama series, feature films and scripted digital content,” explains Tridente.

It will offer a range of programs across drama and film and feature a dedicated co-production market and pitching forums, as well as networking activities and conference lineup. “All of this, under the guidance and expert eye of the advisory boards made of a selected group of industry professionals, is to ensure that our content is up-to-the-minute, highly relevant and engaging,” says Tridente.

Already confirmed for the drama board of this year’s edition are David Levine, president of television at Anonymous Content; Jeniffer Kim, senior VP of international originals for HBO Max; Christophe Riandee, vice CEO of Gaumont; Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Group; David Davoli, president of television at BRON Studios; Erik Barmack, CEO and founder of Wild Sheep Content; Françoise Guyonnet, executive managing director for TV series at Studiocanal TV; Gaspard De Chavagnac, co-founder and co-CEO of Asacha Media Group; Laura Abril, head of ViacomCBS International Studios for EMEA and Asia and senior VP of all brands for Southern Europe and the Middle East at ViacomCBS; Carlo Dusi, executive producer and strategy director at Endor Productions; and Julien Leroux, CEO and founder of Paper Entertainment.

“Some of them will also play a key role in the evaluation process of the Drama Pitching Forum, together with Moritz Polter, managing director of Windlight Pictures; Melissa Myers, president and partner of Kinetic Content; Isabelle Lindberg Péchou, VP of creative and development for dramas at Nucleus Media Rights; and the independent producer and talent manager Philipp Steffens,” notes Tridente. “More members will be announced in the next few weeks on the MIA website.”

Speaking to the importance of the drama pillar at MIA and what makes Italian drama so compelling around the world, Tridente says, “The Italian audiovisual industry has positioned itself as a reliable partner in the global drama ecosystem, able to deliver some of the best international shows able to set eyes on Italy.”

For this year’s edition of MIA, the Scripted Division event GREENLit will showcase new international scripted content from the Italian scripted industry and present the “new wave” of Italian dramas that will launch in 2022, featuring discussions with producers, executives from broadcasters and digital platforms and talent. “With local productions rivaling top-tier international series, the Italian scripted industry has now placed itself as a central focus in the global market,” says Tridente. “And with new, larger and easier tax credits, as well as enhanced production facilities, regional funds, stunning locations, on- and off-screen talent, Italy is ahead of its Platinum Era for drama production.”

Echoing Tridente’s sentiments about the esteemed position of Italian content on the global market, MIA’s director Milazzotto says, “MIA is the hub where to meet the Italian excellences of the audiovisual industry and discover all the opportunities that Italy offers to international players: exceptional content, consistent subsidies, stunning locations, excellent production companies, award-winning talent. Italy is today the perfect place to cloud business, in a fast-tracking media environment.”