FormatBiz | Mia presents a busy edition with 500 projects from 65 countries - a Forum for Animation - a Floor Market

International Audiovisual Market, the yearly market in Rome, Italy, returns with its 8th Edition from October 11th to 15th, 2022. It will be held in the historic Palazzo Barberini venue and at the historic Cinema Barberini, directly connected to the Palazzo. The MIA Digital platform will be active also this year to allow registered in person attendees and those attending remotely to access all sessions live and on-demand. MIA is growing year on year, demonstrating the increasingly relevant role of the Roman market. In 2021 more than 2,000 industry professionals attended . More than 500 projects were submitted this year, from 65 countries around the world with approximately 70 projects selected.

Gaia Tridente is the new Director, and the event has the support of institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ITA-Italian Trade Agency, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Economic Development and Lazio Region. Moreover, MIA is also supported by the official sponsor Unicredit and by Fastweb, technology partner.

This year’s edition of MIA brings in an exciting novelty, introducing a brand new section dedicated to Animation and curated by an all-female team (Maïa Tubiana, Carla Vulpiani, Daniela Di Maio and Sabrina Perucca), along the already existing editorial divisions dedicated to Doc&Factual (curated by MIA Deputy Director Marco Spagnoli), Drama (curated by Paolo Ciccarelli and Guido Casali) and Film (curated by Deputy Director Francesca Palleschi with Alexia de Vito, who takes care of the co-production market). MIA continues to grow thanks to the precious collaboration of an experienced team who has curated the event in the past: Sergio Garufi, Head of MIA Digital and Editor in Chief of the website; Francesca Campagna, Head of Guest Management; Matteo Pollone, Catalogue curator; Marta Bertolini, Head of Corporate Communication and PR; Lorenzo Fiuzzi, in charge of Business Development; Mario Galasso, who manages MIA Coordination with the support of Ida Panzera, and Francesca Cagliani, together with all members of our staff.

Among the new features of MIA 2022 is the B2B Exchange, an initiative to support the Ukrainian audiovisual industry with content, events and market activities that involve Ukrainian professionals and bring them back to the heart of the global audiovisual industry.
MIA 2022 enjoys for the first time the patronage of Eurimages, the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe for the co-production, distribution, exhibition and digitalization of European cinematographic works, which aims to promote the European film industry by supporting its production, distribution and cooperation among professionals in different countries.
MIA will also host a conference hosted by EBU (European Broadcasting Union) the world’s leading alliance of public service media, which will be attended by fiction executives from many European networks.
MIA’s Boards of Advisors, which features some of the most experienced international professionals of the industry, is renewed every year to ensure an ever up-to-date, highly profiled, qualifying, and engaging content.

Some of the professionals who have confirmed their participation for MIA 2022 are: Manuel Alduy Director of Cinema and International Development, France Televisions (France); Maria Pia Ammirati Head of Drama, RAI (Italy); Eleonora Andreatta VP Italian Original Series, Netflix (Italy); Mounia Aram Founder & Distributor, MA Company (France); Carole Baraton co-founder, Charades (France); Erik Barmack CEO and Founder, Wild Sheep Content (USA); Marie-Claude Beauchamp Co-Founder/Producer & Distributor, Carpe Diem (Canada); James Blue Founder and Chief Storytelling Officer, StoryBoard Pictures; Julien Borde Head of TV and Chief Content Officer, Mediawan (France); Giovanni Bossetti, Manager Nonfiction Italy, Netflix (Italy); Enrico Bufalini Director of Film Distribution, Documentary Production and Historical Archive management Luce, Istituto Luce-Cinecittà (Italy); Laura Carafoli SVP TV Networks & Digital Local Production, Warner Bros. Discovery Southern Europe (Italy); Daniele Cesarano Head of Drama, Mediaset (Italy); Mandy Chang Global Head of Documentaries, Fremantle (UK); Simon Crowe Founder & CEO, SC Distribution Intl. (UK); Simone D’Amelio Bonelli Regional Director, A+E Networks (Italy); David Davoli President of International, Anonymous Content (USA); Paolo Del Brocco, CEO, Rai Cinema (Italy); Carlo Dusi Managing Director, Endor Productions (UK); Simone Emmelius SVP International Fiction-Coproduction & Acquisition, ZDF (Germany); Yago Fandiño Head of Children contents, RTVE-Clan (Spain); Frédéric Fiore President & Partner, Logical Pictures (France); Sara Furio, Director of International Original Film at Netflix (USA); Marc Gabizon Managing Director, Wild Bunch (Germany); Ed Guiney Founder & Co-CEO, Element Pictures (Ireland); Francoise Guyonnet Executive Managing Director TV Series, Studiocanal TV (France); Nils Hartmann EVP Germany and Italy, SKY Studios (Italy/Germany); Sonia Latoui VP Thematics, Mediawan (France); Giampaolo Letta Vice President & CEO, Medusa (Italy); Nicola Maccanico CEO, Cinecittà (Italy); Stéphane Marchi CEO & Co-Founder, N9ne Studio (France); Luca Milano, Head of Children TV, RAI Ragazzi (Italy); Ted Miller Head of Global Television, CAA (US); Davide Nardini Head of Scripted, Amazon (Italy); Maren Olson, EVP Film, 30WEST (USA); Jaime Ondarza EVP and General Manager South and MENA Hub, Paramount+ (Italy); Massimiliano Orfei CEO, Vision Distribution (Italy); Cecilia Padula VP, Kids & Family Brands South Europe MEA, Paramount (Italy); Roberto Pisoni Sky Entertainment Channels Senior Director, Sky (Italy); Cristophe Riandee Vice CEO, Gaumont (France); Carlotta Rossi Spencer Head of Branded Content Business Development, Banijay (UK); Alessandro Saba - Director Original Production, Disney + (Italy); Andrea Scarso Senior Investment Director, Media, Ingenious Media (UK); Virve Schroderus Executive in Charge of International Co-Productions and Acquisitions, YLE (Finland); Andrea Scrosati Group COO and CEO Continental Europe, Fremantle (Italy); Roeg Sutherland Head of Media Finance, CAA (USA); Kristel Tõldsepp Head of Studio & Producer, Afilm studio (Estonia); Michael Weber Managing Director, The Match Factory (Germany); Fabrizio Zappi Director Documentary Production, RAI (Italy); Susan Zirinski President, See It Now Studios (USA).

COPRODUCTION MARKET & PITCHING FORUM
MIA's Co-Production Market and Pitching Forum, is one of the leading co-production forums in Europe, dedicated to international content in: Documentaries (both serial and one-off format), Drama and Film, has opened to Animation with serial and feature film projects seeking co-production partners, buyers and financial supporters. A total of approximately 70 projects which represent a unique opportunity for international co-production.

ANIMATION CO-PRODUCTION MARKET & PITCHING FORUM
For its first edition, the brand new Division of MIA | Animation Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum has selected 13 projects coming from 12 countries. The selection has been signed off by the Selection Committee composed by Mounia Aram, Founder & Distributor of MA Company (France); Simon Crowe, Founder & CEO of SC Distribution International (UK); Cecilia Padula, VP, Kids & Family, Brand Head South Europe Middle East & Africa at Paramount (Italy); Claudia Schmidt, Head of Kids & Family Entertainment at Beta Films (Germany); Kristel Tõldstepp, Head of Studio & Producer at Afilm (Estonia). The 13 selected projects, include TV Series, Stand Alone & Feature Film, and have shown major strengths in terms of visual assets, script and solidity in terms of story and financial structure, and they closely reflect the major macro-areas of Animation Co-Production in Europe. The market features debuting projects as well as already disclosed ones in need of covering the last gap of financing and finalise development.
Among the selected projects, Italy will be represented by THE BLACK DIAMOND RACE developed by Gruppo Alcuni, a period pre-teen series set in early 21st century Modernism, and Studio Movimenti presenting FLYDOG, a series that moves on the path already traced by artists of contemporary storytelling, heroes of underground pop culture, promising to be far from politically correct. A strong female-led project in both direction and production comes from Denmark with Copenhagen Bombay's feature film I AM HELENA, directed by Karla von Bengtson and produced by CEO Sarita Christensen, named one of 25 Executives to Watch globally by Animation Magazine in 2015. From Submarine, a production company and studio with an animation slate under its belt that includes a multitude of award-winning films and series, comes ECHO BOY, a sci-fi romantic thriller about a cynical teenager determined to solve the murder of her parents committed by Echo, a malfunctioning humanoid robot designed to serve, an adaptation of Matt Haig's homonymous novel. France, a leading animation production country, will equally be represented by Sacrebleu Productions with FÉLIX! HE CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING!, a comic, adventurous and mysterious series about little Félix and his incredible stories; Laïdak Films will present the feature film ROUND AND ROUND THE WISHING WELL based on the same film, winner of the Special Jury Prize for TV Special at Annecy and Oscar nominee for Best Animated Short, Mom Is Pouring Rain.