The MIA|Film co-production Market & Pitching Forum will present to the international film industry 15 feature film projects selected from 13 countries. The projects have been evaluated and selected by a selection committee composed of Naima Abed (CEO & Co-Founder, Paradise City, UK), Eva Åkergren (Producer, Nordisk Film Production, Sweden), Claudia Bluemhuber (CEO & Managing Partner, Silver Reel, Switzerland), Kevin Chan (Global Co-Head of Acquisitions, MUBI, UK/USA), Céline Dornier (Head of Film Investments and International Coproductions, Logical Pictures, France), Eva Esseen Arndorff (CEO, TriArt Distribution, Sweden), Mike Goodridge (CEO & Founder, Good Chaos, UK), Alexis Hofmann (Head of Acquisitions, Bac Films, France), Phil Hunt (CEO, Head Gear Films, UK), Carla Quarto di Palo (Head of International Sales, Cornerstone Films Limited, UK), Bastien Sirodot (CEO & Producer, Umedia, Belgium), Margrit Stärk (Director Acquisitions & Coproductions Feature Films, ZDF Studios, Germany).
Out of the 15 selected projects, 6 are from female directors, and more than half of the titles explore female-centric stories, confirming MIA’s sensitivity to themes of inclusivity and gender equality.
Among these: A STORY OF THREE GIRLS by Nursen Çetin Köreken, where the competitive world of weightlifting serves as a backdrop for the stories of three girls who, amidst abuse and social constraints, struggle to affirm their identity in the complex reality of contemporary Turkey; CONSUELO, the debut work by Tatianna Kantorowicz, which follows a girl’s transition from adolescence to adulthood as she flees her village to discover herself in the city of Bogotá; FAR FROM THE TREES by Meritxell Colell Aparicio, a talented director and a former alumna of Rome’s co-production market, who returns with a story about distance, bonds, and the ache of nostalgia for one’s roots; RUBY by Silvana Santamaria, based on the true story of former race car driver and nurse Josephine Rubino, an ordinary and yet extraordinary female character; THE WOMAN I LOVE, debut feature by Céline Dondénaz, the story of two women on different sides of the trans-identity issue who fall in love without knowing the truth.
The other selected projects include: ANTHOLOGY by Nicolas Saada, a journey through time and space, intertwining six unique narratives from Paris to Seattle, WWII London to post-war Vienna; A GIFT TO MY MOTHER by Aaron Brookner, an author already produced by Jim Jarmusch, whose previous titles have been presented and awarded at prestigious international festivals, here venturing into a story of family secrets with unique dark tones; CHILDREN OF THE MONKEY by Tommaso Landucci, whose screenplay won the Solinas Award, portraying a father’s challenges in accepting his disabled son; I WILL FIND YOU by György Kristóf, whose previous film Out was presented at Cannes and who has participated in the Rome co-production market with his following project; IL CILENO by Sergio Castro San Martìn, following the journey of a young Chilean revolutionary in the 1970s searching for his place in the world between Santiago, Chile, and Turin; THE FERRYMAN by Juraj Nvota, which focuses on the theme of death but approaches it in an original way through the grotesque and amusing journey of three brothers in contemporary Slovakia; THE RABBI, a bold debut by Uriya Hertz set in the world of yeshivas (Jewish religious schools), produced by Israeli July-August Productions, which has been behind numerous titles that have successfully traversed the international festival circuit from Cannes to Venice.
In addition to the international selection, for the fourth consecutive year the MIA|Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum presents WANNA TASTE IT?, a section exclusively devoted to Italian film projects at an earlier stage of development. The program aims to be a launchpad and a propeller for the Italian industry and talent, through organized networking with potential co-producers, sales and financiers, and high-level training, providing feedback and counseling from industry experts, representatives of institutions and funds.
The three projects selected this year: ANGIOLINA AND THE CAPTAIN by Costanza Quatriglio, BEYOND THE SMOKING EARTH by Gianluca Granocchia, and JAZZ SUITE FOR A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY by Tommaso Pitta.
FILM CO-PRODUCTION MARKET & PITCHING FORUM
2023 SELECTION
ANTHOLOGY by Nicolas Saada (France)
Produced by Laurent Fumeron (The Project)
CHILDREN OF THE MONKEY by Tommaso Landucci (Italy, France)
Produced by Andrea Calbucci and Maurizio Piazza (Lungta Film)
IL CILENO by Sergio Castro San Martin (Italy, Chile)
Produced by Alessandro Amato and Luigi Chimienti (dispàrte), Pablo Calisto (Equeco)
CONSUELO by Tatianna Kantorowicz (Colombia)
Produced by Daniel Garcia (Oso Films)
FAR FROM THE TREES by Meritxell Colell Aparicio (Spain, Italy)
Produced by Mayca Sanz (Allegra Films), Iris Martin-Peralta and Federico Sartori (Exit Media Srl), Antonio Urrata (Magale Group)
THE FERRYMAN by Juraj Nvota (Slovak Republic, Czech Republic)
Produced by Marian Urban (ALEF FILM & MEDIA)
A GIFT TO MY MOTHER by Aaron Brookner (UK, Finland)
Produced by Paula Alvarez Vaccaro (Pinball London), Pauliina Stahlberg (Pauliina Stahlberg Productions)
I WILL FIND YOU by György Kristóf (Slovak Republic, Hungary)
Produced by György Kristóf (Dynamo Productions), Ferenc Pusztai (KMH Film)
THE RABBI by Uriya Hertz (Israel)
Produced by Yochanan Kredo (July-August Productions)
RUBY by Silvana Santamaria (Germany)
Produced by Adolf El Assal (Wady Media), Silvana Santamaria (Soilfilms Media)
A STORY OF THREE GIRLS by Nursen Çetin Köreken (Turkey)
Produced by Ümit Köreken and Nursen Çetin Köreken (Drama Yapım Film Medya)
THE WOMAN I LOVE by Céline Dondénaz (Switzerland)
Produced by Véronique Vergari (Luna Films)
WANNA TASTE IT
ANGIOLINA AND THE CAPTAIN by Costanza Quatriglio (Italy)
Produced by Simone Catania and Francesca Portalupi (Indyca)
BEYOND THE SMOKING EARTH by Gianluca Granocchia (Italy)
Produced by Alessandro Borrelli (La Sarraz Pictures)
JAZZ SUITE FOR A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY by Tommaso Pitta (Italy)
Produced by Livio Basoli (Dude Originals)
