MIA Unveils lineup for Rome Edition with over 630 project submissions

The press conference presenting the 12th edition of MIA | Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo was held in Rome at Palazzo Barberini today. MIA is promoted by ANICA (Italian Association of Film, Audiovisual and Digital Industries), chaired by Alessandro Usai, and APA (Italian Audiovisual Producers Association), chaired by Chiara Sbarigia, and directed by Gaia Tridente.

The event returns to Rome from 19 to 23 October with a new market layout that transforms historic Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini into a district dedicated to the international film and audiovisual industry, fostering encounters between creativity, industry, finance and innovation.

The 12th edition of MIA is held with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ICE – Italian Trade Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian companies. It also receives funding from Creative Europe MEDIA and the Italian Ministry of Culture, as well as support from the Roma Lazio Film Commission Foundation of the Lazio Region. For this edition, the event benefits from the collaboration of the Department for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion of Roma Capitale, and from the patronage of Eurimages, the Council of Europe fund for the co-production, distribution, exhibition and digitalisation of European cinematographic works.

The strong international dimension of MIA 2026 is already evident in the selection figures: 630 projects submitted (+26% compared with 2025), from 83 countries. Following a highly competitive selection process, 104 projects from 43 countries (Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, Norway, the Netherlands, Panama, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, Sudan, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine and Hungary) were selected to take part in MIA’s various industry programmes (the Co-Production & Gap Financing Market and the Work-in-Progress sessions), presenting a broad and diverse geography of contemporary audiovisual production. This is complemented by an extensive editorial programme, with more than 40 conferences, talks and meetings taking place across MIA’s 7 official venues, featuring 85 international speakers, with women accounting for more than 40%.

Among the key events, On October 21st at 11:00 AM, the President of APA, Chiara Sbarigia, presents the 8th REPORT ON NATIONAL AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION, a fundamental tool that provides a snapshot of the economic and employment values and the current trends for 2025-2026. Following this, a meeting with the main protagonists of the sector to discuss the theme of production quality. Taking part in the panel will be Maria Pia Ammirati (Director, Rai Fiction), Eleonora Andreatta (Vice President for Italian Content, Netflix), Giampaolo Letta (Vice President and CEO, Medusa Film), Emanuele Marchesi (Executive Vice President, Sky Studios Italy), Nicole Morganti (Head of Local Originals Southern Europe, Amazon Studios), and Laura Carafoli (SVP Head of Content Southern Europe, Warner Bros. Discovery). On 22 October, from 10:30am to 1:00pm at Palazzo Barberini, as part of the ongoing Sala e Salotto research project, ANICA will present an in-depth analysis of film consumption after theatrical release, examining viewing through pay, linear and streaming services. This will be followed by a discussion among industry representatives on the research findings.

Alessandro Usai, President of ANICA, stated: 'The value of MIA is measured by its ability to turn meetings into collaborations, ideas into works and talent into industrial growth. At a time of profound transformation in the audiovisual sector, the Market is strengthening both its international dimension and its role as a platform capable of supporting projects from idea to realisation, connecting creativity, companies, capital and opportunities. In this increasingly international environment, access to innovative financial instruments and solutions that help companies secure financing for projects and support business growth has become a critical factor for the sustainability and development of the film and audiovisual industry. The European Investment Hub, one of the new features of MIA 2026, is part of this direction: it will encourage dialogue among companies, investors and institutions and make European and international financial instruments supporting the audiovisual sector more accessible. ANICA strongly supports MIA’s growth because strengthening the Market means strengthening the entire national audiovisual ecosystem and consolidating Italy’s role as an international creative and production hub'.

Chiara Sbarigia, President of APA, stated: 'After twelve years, rethinking MIA was necessary in order to respond to the new challenges facing Italian producers. The new focus on microdrama and emerging forms of serial storytelling, a new programme dedicated to animated series, and a platform focused on European and international financial instruments strengthen MIA’s ability to support the entire value chain in an increasingly integrated way. This is the same direction in which APA’s activities have moved this year, commissioning research on digital platforms and launching a project to establish a public-private fund for independent producers. The mission remains the same: to keep the market aligned with a rapidly changing global context, identifying new languages, production models and financing opportunities so that our companies can find the space they deserve on the national and international stage'.

Gaia Tridente, Director of MIA, added: 'This edition of MIA is built around a precise ambition: to read market transformations as they happen and translate them into concrete opportunities for the industry. The programme brings together projects, voices and leading figures from the international industry in a constellation of different themes, experiences and perspectives, creating new connections and reflecting the complexity and transformations of the contemporary market. It connects creativity, industry, finance and innovation, making the programme more fluid, cross-cutting and international. MIA’s role is increasingly defined by this ability to connect ideas, capital, talent and companies: a system infrastructure serving the audiovisual sector and a privileged observatory on the transformations of the global industry, capable not only of interpreting change, but also of generating opportunities, attracting investment, opening new markets and strengthening the competitiveness of the national and international industry'.

 

 

LC