In collaboration with Women in Film, Television & Media Italia (WIFTMI), MIA hosted the second edition of the WIFTMI AWARD, which was awarded to HALLYU – KOREAN WAVE, a scripted Italian project officially selected within the Drama Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum. This series is an Italian-French co-production that explores the fictional story of the first Western K-pop band. HALLYU – KOREAN WAVE is produced by Stefano Centini (Volos Films Italia), Farid Rezkallah (24images Production) and Paolo Maria Spina (Revolver).
The Jury of Women in Film, Television and Media, Italia have decided to award the project HALLYU – KOREAN WAVE for its freshness and originality, for putting women at the heart of the story, and for dealing with issues close to them, i.e., our society’s obsession with body image and performance, while celebrating values such as inclusion, solidarity and empathy. We appreciate that the co-creator and writer of the show is a woman, hoping more women will take key creative roles in the production of the series, and applaud the project’s inclusivity, multiculturality and multiethnicity, both on-screen and off-screen. In our view, the project has commercial potential, especially thanks to its young target audience, the comedy genre and the musical/performance aspect of the show, considering also the growing popularity of K-Pop around the world. The European-Asian co-production model presents an innovative approach to financing and producing, and opens the door to the possibility of international distribution. While we support the project, we believe that it will benefit from the consultancy of Women in Film, Television and Media, Italia, in its further development, and thus would like to offer this award to the team.
The Association will provide the winner with editorial advice, implemented by WIFTMI members working in the field of development and production of audiovisual products. HALLYU – KOREAN WAVE was awarded because of its the greatest potential to be realized based on criteria related to elimination of gender inequality, positive representation, balanced representation, diversity and inclusion.
The aim of the WIFTMI AWARD is to help create connections between Italian productions and the international market, often more sensitive and advanced regarding inclusion issues.
The winning project was selected by a jury of professionals associated with WIFTMI who work in the development and production of audiovisual products.
WOMEN IN FILM, TELEVISION & MEDIA ITALIA (WIFTMI)
Women in Film, Television & Media Italia (WIFTMI) is a nonprofit association founded in the 1970s in the US whose Italian chapter was established in 2018.
WIFTMI’s goal is to promote gender equality and fight gender bias in the audiovisual industry. The Association also aims to encourage a cultural change leading to a more appropriate and positive representation of women in the audiovisual industry contents. WIFTMI hopes that such change will affect everyday behavior through the ability to shape the view of the world audiovisual content can provide.
These goals are complemented by that of creating a network of female professionals fostering dialogue and cultural exchange, also stimulating change in the professional and social positions and roles held by women.
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