Attendance boom and record numbers for MIA|International Audiovisual Market 5th edition. More than 2,500 participants, 50,000 meetings, and a 25% increase compared to the last edition.
117 films and 128 screenings, 250 TV episodes (more than 50% of which were Italian), 97 international premieres (80 of them Italian), over 2500 participants (60% Italian, followed by operators from France), and 500 accreditations from the UK, the USA and Germany: these were the numbers of the fifth edition of MIA|International Audiovisual Market, guided by Lucia Milazzotto, that took place from October 16 to 20, in the storied palazzi of Rome’s center.
It was a four-day, experience-rich event, that brought together the key players of the audiovisual sector from 50 countries. Curated by Francesca Palleschi along Alexia de Vito (Film), Gaia Tridente (Drama) and Marco Spagnoli (Doc), the different MIA 2019 sections introduced 200 cutting edge products for 2020-2022, for a total value of 700 million euros. This year’s numbers reveal the success of a transversal edition that sought to include and value female labor, while also leading in matters of social, economic and environmental sustainability.
“MIA continues to grow: this year the success has been even larger and more impactful than the preceding years, with 25% more participants,” said Francesco Rutelli, President of ANICA. “Creatives and operators are always willing to mix experiences, from start-ups to producers and creators of short content, TV series, and obviously cinema, for which we have seen very important announcements and launches. The same goes for documentaries and animation. MIA reaches far, and it is destined to keep growing and cementing its place as an unmissable event at the international and European level”.
Giancarlo Leone, President of APA, also revealed his great satisfaction: “The Associazione Produttori Audiovisivi is particularly happy with this year’s success for the Market, with visible growth in every area and a significant presence by the most important international market referents. This means that Italian products are not only a showcase for our own productive capacity but also a centerpiece of the international market for audiovisual content”.
“MIA’s exponential growth, both in terms of quality and quantity, confirms its position in the international scene and, most of all, our industries’ growing capacity to be a global market protagonist”, concluded Lucia Milazzotto, MIA Director. “A vivacious edition, vibrant in new ideas and businesses. Thanks to the skill of the institutions, first of the Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico and ICE, Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo, Regione Lazio and Europa Creativa; the mixed effort by ANICA and APA, of the extraordinary work by a motivated and cohesive MIA team, with an average age of 30 years, consisting of 70% women.”
This success was also shared and witnessed by many of the operators in the sector: “They are very motivated people, with a true passion for cinema”, highlighted Richard Lorber, President & CEO of Kino Lorber, Inc. “We are very happy with our participation in the event and exchanged experiences with a truly professional and interested audience, that represents the authors of the future”. “It is truly important for Channel 4 to be at MIA”, said Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4. “It is my first time here and I found a very stimulating Market, with the presence of loads of international drama and series producers. For us, to be here means having the opportunity to learn and exchange opinions with other countries”.
“MIA has always manifested a great interest in animation and has organized a series of particularly innovative encounters”, declared Luca Milano, Director of RAI Ragazzi, while according to Raffaella Di Giulio, Head of Sales and International Distribution of FANDANGO, “the market grows each year. There was the integral participation by the distributors at What’s Next Italy. The organization of spaces at Palazzo Barberini became more functional. There’s an optimal presence of TV and Cinema buyers and we managed to close very important agreements”. “I’m having a blast these days at MIA, a beautiful event that I’m recommending to everyone”, added Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate Television Group Chairman, while Justine Nagan, Executive Producer of POV said: “I’m really happy to be part of MIA this year: I’ve had the possibility to find many Italian and European directors”.
“I’m proud of being in Rome. There are so many high-level guests. Here, anyone can learn and find interesting things”, declared Gale Anne Hurd, CEO of Valhalla Entertainment, while Erkko Lyytinen, commissioning editor of the Finnish National Broadcasting Company (Yle) said: “this year we had a truly magnificent experience, thanks to the beautiful location and the presence of very interesting projects and many talented directors. There are a great number of titles in development and it is simply fascinating to see such a varied agenda”.
MIA is the result of the collective effort by the Italian industry sector, which has received great and synergic support from several institutions. MIA was born from the consolidated joint venture between ANICA and APA, with the support of the Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico and ICE-ITA, Ministero dei Beni Culturali e del Turismo, Regione Lazio, UnionCamere e Camera di Commercio di Roma and Creative Europe; the participation of institutions, international organisms and national partners, among which are the Apulia Film Commission, Unicredit, Fondazione Cinema per Roma, Eurimages; the invaluable contribution of the Comitato Editoriale MIA, which includes the nominated representatives of Associazioni Audiovisive Italiane – 100autori, AGICI, ANICA, APA, Cartoon it, CNA, Italian Film Commission, LARA and UNEFA.
