With an extraordinary restart The MIA | International Audiovisual Market records 2000 accredited operators in attendance from 56 countries, over 600 international top players in Rome and 40,000 B2B meetings in the five days of the event held from 13 to 17 October 2021.
The seventh edition of MIA directed by Lucia Milazzotto has been full of appointments, counting 150 market screenings (including 80 previews) and 150 projects and works in progress (70% Italian), thanks to the strengthening of three divisions: Scripted, curated by Gaia Tridente and in which the Film and Drama sections converge; Unscripted, managed by Marco Spagnoli, which includes Doc and Factual; and Strategic Development – comprising the market screenings, content showcases, and activities related to the sale of the complete product – entrusted to Francesca Palleschi.
Elements such as the sustainability of the event and the hospitality in total safety in protected and Covid-proof spaces have encouraged the great return to Italy of the protagonists of the international audiovisual industry, marking nearly 100% of accreditations in attendance, with over 450 producers, 800 product and project buyers, 59 panels within the venues of Cinema Moderno and Palazzo Barberini, 800,000 views on Facebook channels, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram and 96,000 visited pages.
On the importance of audiovisual as a production sector of great relevance for the national economy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio spoke on Saturday 16 October at the “Made in Italy Reboot“, one of the highlights of the seventh edition of the Market.
During the meeting with Foreign Minister Di Maio, ANICA President Francesco Rutelli declared: “Institutionally speaking, this is the most remarkable and valuable aspect of this year’s edition. Minister Di Maio’s speech marks a turning point for the Italian Theatrical and Audiovisual industry: acquiring the Country’s economic promotion from the inside by supporting export and internationalization through ICE, the Farnesina has also become the promoter of the audiovisual industry’s growth. All this is part of a framework that the Minister has indicated as ‘soft power,” meaning a set of tools aiming to promote the Italian identity, language, economic interests, and cultural diplomacy. MIA is a system event, and this shift in direction is truly innovative.”
“Until recently, the Government and the institutions lacked a real strategy to support the internationalization of our product. The presence of general directorates in the new structure that deals with integrated promotion and public and general diplomacy is extraordinary news because, for the first time, Institutions and cultural and productive associations such as ANICA and APA were bridged into a system. Without the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ICE, MIA would not exist: it is fundamental support, and today is a memorable day for the entire supply chain” added APA President Giancarlo Leone in the presence of Foreign Minister Di Maio.
“The figures of 2021 MIA are proof of the growing centrality and rediscovered renewal spirit leading Italy and our creativity and productive capacity to becoming a protagonist of the international landscape”, commented MIA Director Lucia Milazzotto.
The succesfull data, on the one hand, confirm MIA as one of the most important Market events in Europe focused on increasing product exports, co-productions and business relations at international level, and on the other are proof of the renewed interest and trust of the international audiovisual community towards the Italian production capacity and the Country System. According to the latest APA report presented at MIA, at the beginning of 2021, this System recorded a production value of more than +1.3 billion for all genres, with an extremely high growth rate (28% in 2020) above all concerning Fiction for TV and VoD platforms. The original production value of Animation titles is also growing, as in 2020 it stands at €77 million, while all other genres (documentaries, entertainment, Talk Shows, and in-depth and cultural programs) lie around €350 million.
MIA was founded and continues to grow thanks to the consolidated joint venture between ANICA – the National Association of Audiovisual and Digital Cinematographic Industries chaired by Francesco Rutelli – and APA – the Audiovisual Producers Association headed by Giancarlo Leone, and the renewed support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ICE (the Agency for the promotion abroad and the internationalization of Italian companies), with the contribution of MiC (Ministry of Culture), the Ministry of Economic Development, the Lazio Region and the MEDIA program of the European Union. This year’s panels, talks, and content can be seen again on the MIA DIGITAL platform.
