Rome’s MIA Announces 12% Rise In Accreditations As International Audiovisual Market Gears Up For Return To Full Strength

Melanie Goodfellow
·3 min read

Italy’s International Audiovisual Market MIA is expecting a return to full force this year ahead of its eighth edition in Rome from October 11 to 15.

Speaking at a preview press conference on Thursday, director Gaia Tridente said the meeting had registered a 12% rise in attendance this year with accreditations still open, although she did not give precise figures.

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Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, MIA welcomed 2,500 attendees in 2019, while there were 2,000 registered attendees in 2021 when travel was still restricted.

This year marks the inaugural edition for Tridente who was previously head of scripted at MIA.

Based around Rome’s historic Barberini Palace and the nearby newly refurbished Barberini Cinema, the event spans a traditional market, co-production meetings and a conference.

Expected guests include Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti, Netflix EMEA TV boss Larry Tanz, Lionsgate TV Group president Sandra Stern and Fremantle COO and continental Europe CEO Andrea Scrosati as well as US film finance and sales vet Maren Olson and French film exec Cécile Gaget, who was recently industry appointed as head of film at studio Wild Bunch.

Basetti will participate in a panel looking at the international potential of the Italian audiovisual sector alongside Cinecittà CEO Nicola Maccanico and Rai president Marinella Soldi. Confirmation of Bassetti’s presence comes hot on the heels of news that Banijay is set to expand further with the acquisition of Australian content powerhouse Beyond International.

Gaget will join TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, French sales veteran Carole Baraton at Paris-based Charades, Italian distributor Andrea Occhipinti at Lucky Red, Netherlands distributor Marc Smit at Cinéart and Susan Wendt at TrustNordisk in a discussion on the landscape for film distribution.

Further conference highlights include the panel: “Co-producing Today: Future-Proofing Creative Models In The Independent Film Business”, with speakers including Italian producer Carlo Cresto-Dina at Tempesta Film, French film financier and producer Frédéric Fiore of Logical Pictures, 30West’s Olson, Casey Sunderland of CAA Media Finance and French producer Julie Viez of Paris-based Cinenovo.

Wild Sheep Content CEO Erik Barmack, Legendary Global partner Anne Thomopoulos, Upgrade Productions Matt Brodlie co-head and Studiocanal TV series managing director Francoise Guyonne will look at developments in localized and globalized content in a panel entitled “The Global Production Landscape. Time to Stop Saying “Foreign Language”.

Sky Studios will be in the spotlight in an event entitled “Europe’s Premium Storyteller: Inside Sky Studios”. Sky Studios Vice President DeutschlandTobias Rosen, Director of Original Drama, UK & Ireland Meghan Lyvers, and Director Scripted Italian Sonia Rovai will talk about its original programming across Europe and how it is responding to changing viewer behaviour and increased competition.

Other company-focused events include “Tubi and the Rise of AVOD” in which Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, and VP Content Acquisitions & Partnerships Sam Harowitz will share insights into the platform’s original content strategy and co-production opportunities.

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