The Carlo Bixio Award, now in its eleventh edition, returned to MIA. The competition, promoted by RAI, APA and RTI, is aimed at young authors (under 30) who are asked to submit a serial project without genre limits, respecting the values of novelty, originality, creativity and internationalization which the Award has always promoted.
To the Carlo Bixio Award was also recognized for this edition with the Medal of the President of the Republic and, as a further confirmation of the value and success of the initiative, the SIAE has returned to award the “Premio Idea d’autore,” a prize to the original screenplay that has most distinguished itself for its characteristics of innovation and creativity.
The Carlo Bixio Award for Best Screenplay was won by OBBLIGO O VERITÀ? by Chiara Milana, with the following motivation: “Through the vicissitudes of multifaceted and realistic characters, Obbligo o verità? succeeds in reinventing the topos of the deadly social challenge by adapting it, in a sophisticated and original way, to a context as glocal as it is authentic. Building on this insight, the author tackles crucial themes for teen audiences, especially the relationship with technology and the anxiety associated with asserting one’s identity, developing a compelling and tense narrative and using a contemporary language that perfectly intercepts the voice of the teenagers.”
The Carlo Bixio Award for Best Series Concept was won by LASCIAMI by Rebecca Gatti, Diletta Dan and Enrica Polemio. “Five stories of love and unlove that intersect with each other in the same time and place: a cold and dark contemporary Turin. Effective, poetic writing that with a few brushstrokes gives us back portraits of real and multifaceted protagonists. A story that is convincing not only for its originality, for its unaccustomed structure, but also for the desire and courage to tell something so undefined but also very powerful, such as the feeling of Love.”
The “SIAE Idea d’autore” Prize was awarded ex aequo to: IL MASSO DEGLI ORCHI by Diego Pelizza, with the following motivation: “Il Masso degli Orchi has the courage and boldness to approach a genre poorly explored in Italy, a teen serial with mystery and perhaps horror veins. The group of men and women now coming to terms with a mystery from the past related to their adolescence holds the strings of a secret that grips the reader throughout the script. The jury rewards this project for its courage and solid writing, and wishes the creators well as they continue to disengage in original and personal ways from the genre models they are inspired by.” BARRIERA by Raffael Fiano and Antonio Dal Mas: “For the quality of the writing that supports with a sympathetic style this harsh and powerful story: in a suburban neighborhood of Milan, the Barriera of the title, a young sports prodigy, who has become disabled due to an accident, finds herself imprisoned in a dysfunctional family: a criminal and immoral father, a brother unable to rebel. Her father’s ill-advised choices seem to drag everyone into an uncontrollable spiral of violence, but the protagonist will struggle to realize her irrepressible need for freedom and life.”
Respecting the alternation – edition after edition – between the two sponsoring broadcasters, RAI was the one who offered this year’s prizes. The competition is divided in two categories: series concept and screenplay. The winners received respectively 5 thousand euros and 10 thousand euros in return for a 12-month licensing contract with RAI, which evaluated the chances of implementation of the winning projects.
The submitted projects was assessed by a jury of experts, jointly appointed by APA, RAI and RTI and composed of: a RAI representative (Leonardo Ferrara), a RTI representative (Francesca Galiani), three screenwriters (Ivan Cotroneo, Graziano Diana and Monica Rametta), a director (Francesco Vicario) and finally the President of the Jury, Gabriella Campennì Bixio.
The task of supervising the work of the Award was entrusted to the Promoter Committee composed of: Maria Pia Ammirati (Executive Director of RAI Fiction), Francesco Nardella (Deputy Director of Rai Fiction), Daniele Cesarano (Executive Director of Fiction Mediaset), Giancarlo Scheri (Executive Director of Canale 5) and Antonella Barbieri (General Manager of APA).
