The European Animation Journal conducted a revealing interview with Gaia Tridente, director of the International Audiovisual Market (MIA), which is celebrating its 10th edition this year.
The International Audiovisual Market is celebrating its 10th anniversary. What is the state of the MIA today, and what are its goals for the future?
Created in 2015 by ANICA (Italian Association of Film, Audiovisual and Digital Industries) and APA (Italian Audiovisual Producers Association) MIA has transformed itself according to the needs of the world market. With a strong identity and credibility, today MIA is considered a quality brand at a global level, strategic for the co-production market and the circulation of works and talents.
We have pushed our boundaries and promoted new initiatives to meet the challenges of digital transformation and take a 360° view of content, also thanks to the support and inspiration of Creative Europe MEDIA, one of MIA’s main funders. This started in 2022 with the opening of the Animation division, now led by Carla Vulpiani, which has brought to a 20% increase in participants over the last two editions. The opening to animation, which brings to MIA both feature film and tv producers, buyers and talents, has also provided another benefit: contact with the universe of immersive works, XR, VFX, and virtual-related technologies. In short, our development strategy is based on being an incubator for the creative sector, embracing the potential of innovation for the creation and production, including new media.
What animation-specific initiatives are planned for the 2024 edition, and how does MIA aim to contribute to the development and dissemination of content in this field?
MIA 2024 has specific programs dedicated to Animation, highlighting the creative dynamism and richness that it represents, both in feature animation and in TV animation. We offer a dedicated Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum, a European showcase of work-in-progress titles (AnyShow,) as well as a series of conferences.
Which stakeholders (professional studios, institutions, etc.) are you collaborating with to further expand MIA’s animation program?
The presence of Animation in and around MIA continues to grow. MIA stands out in the animation world as the only market that combines business and creativity. This uniqueness has made MIA a complementary and now essential event. Thanks to the strategy of expanding the international network, we received important feedback that allowed us to focus on our strengths and plan hot topics ahead of the 2025 season. In 2023 we involved one of the US’ leading studios, Skybound, and industry veteran, Marge Dean, contributed a key reflection on adult animation content. The Italian outfits Movimenti (Banijay) and Rainbow Group are among the MIA partners. Institutions like CEE Animation, and EBU will also be present at MIA. Among the projects presented in the Coproduction Forum and Showcase in previous years, the following should be mentioned: La Tempesta by Angela Conigliaro; Chicken For Linda! by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach (ACID Cannes, Annecy 2023-Cristal Best Feature, César 2024); Sauvages! by Claude Barras. This year, submissions to the Animation Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum have increased by 50% compared to 2023.
In your opinion, what are the current strengths of the animation sector in Europe and what areas need improvement?
The animation sector in Europe has grown in the last 15 years, in terms of original IPs and talents. It has flourished thanks to the practice of co-production among countries, which for animation is almost the only way of producing. The competence, creativity and flexibility of European producers have been widely demonstrated. Thanks also to the support of the MEDIA programme, the existing co-production agreements between countries and the cooperation between producers and national broadcasters, the EU market has created a value system that has the necessary resources to resist changes and challenges. It would be great to see broadcasters working to reach and engage a broader audience for animation, going beyond the traditional target channel model. Additionally, it would be helpful for European funding bodies to explore new policies that better address the unique aspects of animation and its diverse funding needs.
Inclusion is one of MIA’s objectives. How does this principle apply in concrete terms to the animation industry?
Animation is a very powerful medium, capable of disseminating global social objectives and, consequently, is a powerful tool for the transmission of culture and for the interpersonal growth of contemporary global society as a whole. MIA values the freedom of artistic expression, the representation of cultural diversity and cooperation, the promotion of creativity and the development of talent, as well as the promotion of environmentally sustainable practices in audiovisual production.
