Market In Focus: How Italy’s MIA Market Has Fast Become A Key Destination For Top Industry Execs

deadline.com:

While the boom of local content has seen increased ambition from streaming platforms to compete with local broadcasters, local industry events with strong regional focuses are increasingly becoming attractive destinations for U.S.

companies and executives and Rome’s MIA market is no exception.The innovative Italian event, which stands for Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo or International Audiovisual Market, has fast become Italy’s key film and TV market since its inception eight years ago.

The market, which runs October 11-15 alongside the Rome Film Festival (which kicks off October 13), has already confirmed a 120% increase in registrations year-on-year with delegates from companies like Disney+, Paramount+, CAA, Fremantle, Sundance Institute, Sky, Warner Bros.

Discovery, A+E Networks, Wild Bunch, StudioCanal and Banijay all confirmed to attend.Its new director Gaia Tridente, who was previously head of scripted at the event, tells Deadline that she believes this upcoming edition looks set to be its most dynamic edition yet.“When MIA was born, it was more focused on film distribution and was a place for sales and buyers of theatrical films,’ Tridente says. “But, in the last five years, the key pillars of the business have moved.”Indeed, the theatrical distribution model has never been more challenged and the growth of investments from major streaming platforms for local product has become much more evident.