The panel Drama Breakthroughs: Stories of Representation and Success ended today 9 October 2023 as part of the ninth edition of the MIA | Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo.
The talk in the Drama section of the MIA focused on the topic of representation, which is becoming increasingly popular today and which, being at the centre of television products from all over the world, has created a global language.
The discussion, moderated by Neerja Narayanan, was attended by Maddalena Rinaldo, Head of Content of Cross Productions, Nicola De Angelis, CEO & Head of Development and International Co-productions, Fabula Pictures, Bilal Baig, Actorə and Showrunner and Dhanny Joshi, Managing Director of Big Deal Films.
Bilal Baig, star and creator of the series Sort Of, commented on the state of representation in the Canadian audiovisual industry: “Canada is a very open country, many people are non-binary and it is perfectly normal. It was very important for them to do work and productions that included trans people, not only on stage but also behind the scenes. Change has to include everyone in the product not just the actors.”
The floor was then passed to Dhanny Joshi, Managing Director of Big Deal Films who outlined the change he expects in the future: “The music industry is more dynamic and welcomes new artists and new ways of expression. There is also a need for novelty in cinema. It is also important to risk producing projects that can be controversial: the audiovisual industry needs to evolve and discover new talent.”
Nicola De Angelis, CEO & Head of Development and International Co-productions at Fabula Pictures illustrated the change in perspective that has affected the audiovisual sector in recent years: “Baby for example was risky for various reasons as a project, it was a different time, the mainstream world was different. Today we suffer from a rebound effect of a lot of shows made for different audiences.”
Maddalena Rinaldo, Head of Content at Cross Productions, also joined the discussion: “I hope to hear no more in the future is the phrase ‘the product is very good but it doesn’t fit into our editorial line’. I would like a world in which there is a desire to make beautiful products, not just a desire to do ratings”.
