MIA’s Animation Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum Selects Projects
Skwigly
MIA | Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo
MIA | Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo directed by Gaia Tridente returns with its 9th edition to be held in Rome from October 9-13, 2023 in its historic venues of Palazzo Barberini and Cinema Barberini.
More than 500 projects were submitted this year for the Co-Production Market and Pitching Forum for Animation, Doc, Drama and Film, from 80 countries worldwide (+30% of countries compared to 2022). Of these, 62 were selected (15 Animation, 18 Doc&Factual, 14 Drama, 15 Film) from 36 countries.
An increase in international interest towards MIA proves the progressive growth of the relevance of the Roman market. 2022 welcomed over 2400 participants from 60 countries (+20% compared to 2021).
MIA, directed by Gaia Tridente, is today one of the main international market events dedicated to the audiovisual industry. Born in 2015 and grown thanks to well-established joint venture between ANICA (Italian Association of Film, Audiovisual and Digital Industries), chaired by Francesco Rutelli, and APA (Italian Audiovisual Producers Association) chaired by Chiara Sbarigia, enjoys the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ITA-Italian Trade Agency, with the contribution of Creative Europe MEDIA. MIA is also supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and the Lazio Region.
Unicredit is the Official Sponsor.
MIA 2023 also received for this edition the patronage of Eurimages, the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe for the co-production, distribution, exhibition and digitisation of European cinematographic works.
Also or this edition, MIA Digital platform will be active to allow registered attendees, live and remote, to access all sessions (live and on demand).
CO-PRODUCTION MARKET & PITCHING FORUM
MIA’s Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum is one of the leading international co-production forums today. It is aimed at audiovisual projects of animation, documentaries, series and films, destined to theatrical distribution, television and streaming platforms. Selected works will be presented – almost all in world premiere – within the Pitching Forums of the 4 divisions (Animation, Doc&Factual, Drama and Film) in order to find co-production partners, buyers and funding partners. This year, 62 projects will be presented, a unique opportunity for international co-productions.
ANIMATION CO-PRODUCTION MARKET & PITCHING FORUM
Just one year after its debut, MIA’s Animation Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum has achieved great results, selecting 15 projects from 24 countries. The submissions received have been evaluated by the external Selection Committee composed by Cecilia Padula VP Head Kids & Family Brands South Europe, Middle East & Africa at Paramount (Italy); David Levine Founder & CEO, at Lightboat Media Ltd (UK); Matthieu Darras Founder & CEO of Tatino Film (France); Mounia Aram, Founder & Distributor of MA Company (France/ Morocco); and Yago Fandiño Lousa, Head of Children’s Content at RTVE and Director of Clan TV (Spain).
The selection includes 3 TV Specials (one-off), 3 Feature Films and 9 TV Series, mixing projects debuting on the market with projects already disclosed which nevertheless have demonstrated a solid progression in development, ready to be presented to financial institutions and partners in order of approaching the production phase. In the fifteen projects described below a very strong female and/or diverse-led presence appears.
A stand out from the authorial European panorama, the award-winning director, writer and producer Anca Damian (Aparte Film) with MOTHERHOOD, a poetic journey into female body and desire which entrusts its representation to the surreal visual world of the Italian artist Virginia Mori, co-produced by Miyu. Director and animator Angela Conigliaro (Ddraunara Studio) lands on the medium format with THE STORM, an animated 2D piece telling the story of two childrens’ friendship against the backdrop of a war situation as it was for Conigliaro’s last short movie, beQ Entertainment (with RAI Kids) head the production. The latest selected TV one-off project comes from the award-winning Egyptian studio Giraffics, which recently produced the Stardust episode included in the anthology series Kizazi Moto: THE PREY is a visually compelling story of a domestic falcon whose privileged and secured lifestyle is threatened, but perhaps instead is about to know freedom (Egypt, UK).
As for animation feature films, from Ghana based company Afrootoon and creative-team composed by Ama Adi-Dako, Ronaldo Cameron and Esther Ohrt, DRUMLAND presents a colourful kaleidoscope of characters surrounding Afua and Kofi, 2 twins on a journey to reverse the cruel spell of a malicious wizard’s, in a magical world where playing drums always has some consequences. Acceptance, friendship, self-discovery and identity connect the storylines of the other 2 animated features in the selection. From award-winning director and artist Magdalena Osińska – who most recently directed Lucasfilm’s eagerly anticipated second instalment of Star Wars: Visions series – comes RO, an intimate stop-motion feature, a joint production by ANIMOON and Les Film du Cygne. From Mexico, filmmaker Karen Viajera debuts in feature with the project THE LAST WAVE, a 2D animated piece where 4 characters embark on a surreal journey on the Mexican coast.
Creativity in television series is widely represented through the 10 selected projects presenting a wide range of target audiences. Food is on the spotlight in TASTE BUDDIES (created by finnish director Veronica Lassenius, produced by Pikkukala, Spain-Ireland-Finland). Compelling design and an adventurous storytelling with an educational twist mark the story of MIA MOKÉ created by the Béquer brothers and produced by French Special Touch. The struggle between modernity and ancient worlds is at the heart of the absurd comedy series RUBHARIAN – developed by Copenhagen Bombay (Denmark). Similar themes can be found in the story of mischievous behaviour of the little Prince MINIRAJA, developed by MondoTV (Spain-India). Animal lovers will be assured of their fair share of fun, thanks to the sisterhood story of two pugs’ against their eternal feline enemy in the magical world of THE ODD ADVENTURES OF NINJA & BIBBY created by Polish filmmaker Piotr Różycki for Laniakea Pictures. More animals in the world of TOINK!, inhabited by bizarre creatures where some odd animals start appearing, the series is written by Bert Lesaffer and Director An Vrombaut (Belgium, Netherlands). Diversity also comes all the way from South Africa, where in TROLL GIRL, from creator and animator Kay Carmicheal, Olive, a young troll, finds herself abandoned in a human village.
The selection couldn’t miss the young-adult segment portraying the sorrows of a group of nerdy and extra gifted teens in HIGHLY GIFTED, a coming-of-age series tackling topics such as gender, sexuality and politics. The semi-autobiographical series created by Jeremy and Daniel Leher (The Leher Brothers) is produced by Moonrise Pictures and it’s an adaptation of the Snapchat web-series which included in the cast pop-icon and singer Kesha, actor Drake Bell, comedian Ron Funches, Oscar-winner Nat Faxon, actor Josh Brener and comedian Jamie Curry. Debuting on the market, the unexpected superheroines DORIS & BETTY, 2 retired working class women who have mistakenly been granted super powers, and therefore have been called to fulfil their responsibility towards the world. Adapted from Doris & Bettan Strikes by Ellen Ekman, the series is brought to the market from Scandinavian power-house Nordisk Film Production.