The Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum 2025 will present to the international film industry 16 projects in development,12 of which as part of the Film Co-Production Market section, along with 4 additional titles featured in the Wanna Taste IT strand. Among the selected titles, 14 are first or sophomore pictures, and 7 are directed by women, confirming MIA’s interest in emerging talent and attention to inclusion. The 2025 selection’s diversity is also reflected in the wide geographical spread: the projects come from 14 different countries, among which Palestine and Ukraine. Such presence reflects MIA’s commitment to giving visibility and support to filmmakers and professionals working in regions marked by conflict, reaffirming its belief in a cinema that remains alive and urgent – a cinema that bears witness to its own time and gives voice to what is happening in the world.
The projects were evaluated and chosen by an international selection committee composed of: Jakob Abrahamsson, CEO, NonStop Entertainment (Sweden), Dyveke Bjørkly Graver, Partner & Producer, Eye Eye Pictures (Norway), Jacques-Henri Bronckart, Producer, Versus Production (Belgium), Yana Georgieva, Head of Sales, Bankside Films (UK), Alexandra Lebret, Partner Axio Capital and Together Fund (France), Valeska Neu, International Sales, Films Boutique (Germany), Joseph Rouschop, Producer, Tarantula (Belgium), Yuji Sadai, Founder & CEO of Bitters End and Producer (Japan), Andrea Scarso, Partner and Investment Director, IPR.VC (Finland), Stefan Schmitz, CEO, Avalon (Spain), Rodrigo Teixeira, Founder & Producer, RT Features (Brazil), Rob Williams, Content Strategy & Sales Executive (USA).
With tones of existential drama, COLD SUN/DIELL I FTOHTË by Gentian Koçi (Albania, produced by Artalb Film Productions) revolves around the story of a man who has just been released from prison following a 20-year sentence for the murder of his wife. In BEGINNERS/PRADŽIOS (Lithuania, produced by Smart Casual), Birutė Kapustinskaite follows three generations of women whose seaside holiday on Lithuania’s border with Russia is unsettled by the search for a missing boy. As personal tensions collide with echoes of past trauma, the film blends intimate drama with a subtle political edge. From prominent Egyptian outfit Film Clinic comes DRAFT ZERO (Egypt) by Ahmed El Zoghby: a struggling filmmaker in Cairo begins documenting a refugee family’s story to save his crumbling life. But when reality disrupts his narrative, he manipulates events, blurring ethics in pursuit of success. FUGUE (Ireland, produced by Fantastic Films), by multi-award winning director and writer Ivan Kavanagh, is a haunting tale of possession, sacrifice, and eternal return – where the sins of the dead echo through every note of Bach’s Art of Fugue. With his coming-of-age debut feature I HAVE TO FUCK BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS (Italy/Philippines, produced by Volos Films Italia and Citrullo International), Italian-Filipino director Andrea Benjamin Manenti draws on his own family history to explore intimacy, memory, and resilience between two worlds. From leading production and distribution company Lucky Red comes another directorial debut, ROMA SHOCKING (Italy) by Angela Norelli: Camilla and Alessia, two 18-year-olds from Rome, seem to have nothing in common—until an act of male violence binds their fates, revealing a connection closer than they ever imagined. Another female first-time director, Tatiana Delaunay, is behind SUMMER OF JESUS (Norway, produced by Needle in the Haystack and Amarcord), an environmental tale pervaded with comedy and deeply rooted in generational trauma: a guilt-ridden activist returns to her Italian roots and confronts love, grief, and cultural clashes. As her rigid ideals unravel, she’s forced to surrender control to rediscover herself. SWEAT/TER by Elif Refiğ (Turkey, produced by Muhtelif Yapım and Vigo Film) is a pre-digital era drama exploring memory, desire, and social pressure within patriarchal systems. In a coastal town, an 18-year-old maid becomes the object of obsession and desire, sparking tensions that culminate in a brutal act of violence. Palestinian writer and director Razan Madhoon presents THE GOOD SPIRIT/مالك (Palestine/UK, produced by Meraki Films): an independent young woman estranged from her family rescues an injured stray dog despite local beliefs that dogs drive away good spirits. This family drama rooted in real events in the Gaza Strip explores prejudice, stereotypes, freedom, and the delicate balance between life and death. THE FOG CATCHER/EL ATRAPANIEBLAS by Daniel Rehder (Peru, produced by Los Chicxs Altos and Rehder Films) comes from the true story of a Peruvian inventor who turned personal tragedy into hope for his community by creating a revolutionary device that harvests water from the sky. The film highlights environmental innovation, sustainability, and the power of resilience. THE OLD GUN/СТАРА РУШНИЦЯ by Egor Olesov (Ukraine, produced by Forecast Pictures and Heroes Creative Studio) is inspired by the French classic Le Vieux Fusil (starring Romy Schneider and Philippe Noiret). Following the story of surgeon Oleh, who loses his wife and daughter during the occupation of his village, the film reimagines the original story through a contemporary Ukrainian lens, blending personal tragedy with national resilience. In THREE TIMES JENNY (France/Germany, produced by Tripode Productions and Weydemann Bros), drawing from her own experiences as a former model, the screenwriter, director and actress Milena Doenst follows the journey of Jenny, a young model, from a summer job in Luxembourg to Paris Fashion Week and finally to China, where she discovers a form of inner freedom.
In addition to the above selection, the Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum once again presents WANNA TASTE IT?, a section dedicated exclusively to Italian film projects in development. Conceived as a launch pad and growth platform for Italian industry and talent, this section aims to promote networking and offer selected producers and directors business opportunities with international partners and training and high-level training and updates through targeted sessions with industry experts, institutional representatives and funding bodies.
Four projects have been selected this year: THE BLUE LINE/LA RIGA BLU by Tomaso Mannoni (Italy, produced by Ombre Rosse and Lama Film), THE BOUNDARY/IL CONFINE by Federica Cellini (Italy, produced by Quoomoon and IBC Movie), THE COLOUR OF DOUBT/IL COLORE DEL DUBBIO by Ivan Gergolet (Italy/Slovenia, produced by Staragara I.T.), VIA DI BRAVETTA, 415 by Mounir Derbal (Italy, produced by Dorje Film).
Selected Projects for Film Co-Production Market 2025
Beginners
Original title: Pradžios
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Lithuania
It was supposed to be a relaxing getaway, but the holiday starts off on the wrong foot: the daughter is struggling to move on from a recent breakup, the mother mixes up the dates for her online workshop and now has to work, and the grandmother secretly battles health issues... more
Main Producers: Rūta Petronytė (Smart Casual), Justinas Pocius (Smart Casual)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALCold Sun
Original title: Diell i ftohtë
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Albania, France
A man in his fifties has just been released from prison following a 20-year sentence for the murder of his wife. Returning to his small hometown, he finds himself erased from the social fabric. Assigned to work as a night guard in a remote lagoon nature reserve, he lives in... more
Main Producers: Gentian Koçi (Artalb Film Productions), Andrea Marcelli (Halley Production), Blerina Hankollari (Artalb Film Productions)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALDraft Zero
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Egypt
Yahya, a struggling filmmaker, lives on a decaying houseboat in Cairo and faces eviction. When his girlfriend, Laila, discovers she’s pregnant, she questions their future and considers having an abortion. Yahya tells her to keep the baby and vows to change. His chance comes when he meets Sama, a Sudanese... more
Main Producers: Mohamed Hefzy (Film Clinic)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALFugue
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Ireland
Driving through a storm, Karen finds shelter in a house with a man and his daughter, Emma. Claiming to be a piano tuner, she’s welcomed inside. As Karen tunes the piano once owned by the girl’s late mother, strange details emerge: pagan idols, odd family photos, a locked basement, and... more
Main Producers: Brendan McCarthy (Fantastic Films)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALI Have To Fuck Before The World Ends
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Italy, Philippines
As any devoted Filipino mother would, Mia keeps telling her son Ren that he is “the only man in her life.” Since Ren’s father abandoned her in Italy, the only other man who mattered has been Dr. Metalli, the gynecologist who employs her as a live-in housekeeper. Ren longs to... more
Main Producers: Carlo Hintermann (Citrullo International), Stefano Centini (Volos Films)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALRoma Shocking
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Italy
Rome, Halloween 2013. Camilla is a shy, affluent 18-year-old living in the city center. Together with two friends, she is at the Halloween party at a popular nightclub in the Eur district, when she accidentally bumps into Alessia, a girl her age who wears a questionable hot pink outfit and... more
Main Producers: Serena Sostegni (Lucky Red), Stefano Massenzi (Lucky Red), Andrea Occhipinti (Lucky Red)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALSummer of Jesus
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Norway
Summer of Jesus is a comedy about Nora (33, Jesus’ age), a guilt-ridden Norwegian activist whose life’s meaning is working tirelessly to save the world. When her Italian cousin, Giulia (36), tricks her into returning to their ancestral village in Salento under the guise of their dying grandmother, Nora... more
Main Producers: Renée Mlodyszewski (Needle in the Haystack), Thomas Robsahm (Amarcord)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALSweat
Original title: Ter
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Turkey
Gülgün (18), a bold young maid, is drawn to the beauty and privilege of her wealthy household. Ali (30), the local butcher, obsesses over her, while she grows close to Erol (22), the family’s troubled son. Class, desire, and jealousy collide as Erol’s mother sends Gülgün away. Across the street,... more
Main Producers: Alara Hamamcioglu (Muhtelif Yapım and Vigo Film)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALThe Blue Line
Original title: La Riga Blu
Wanna Taste IT?
Italy
Three women, three stories, minimal and universal, magical and real, converging and intersecting in the backdrop of a Sardinian village polluted by the industrial “dream” of gold. Three stories of women deceived by the mirage of ephemeral progress and wealth, facing the disaster happening around them, trying to find and... more
Main Producers: Cesare Apolito (Lama Film srl), Andrea Di Blasio (Ombre Rosse Film Production S.r.l.), Luca Cabriolu (Ombre Rosse Film Production S.r.l.), Paul Mateos Verdejo (Black Light Films)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALThe Boundary
Original title: Il Confine
Wanna Taste IT?
Italy
Mina, 14, lives in Italy with her Bangladeshi parents, caretakers of a countryside villa. It is her last summer before moving to Bangladesh—a country she has never seen. When a foreign family arrives, she bonds with Kelly, a free-spirited mother so different from her own, Aisha. Kelly encourages her and... more
Main Producers: Beppe Caschetto (IBC Movie), Luca Scarabelli (Qoomon), Andrea José Di Pasquale (Qoomoon)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALThe Colour Of Doubt
Original title: Il colore del dubbio
Wanna Taste IT?
Italy, Serbia
“Why did he take that damn test?” wonders Nataša (35), who moved from Belgrade to Trieste to build a life with Daniele (40) and their son Saša (6). When Daniele begins to doubt that Saša is his biological child - because of the boy’s blue eyes - he takes a... more
Main Producers: Miha Cernec (Staragara I.T.), David Cej (Staragara.it)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALThe Fog Catcher
Original title: El Atrapanieblas
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Peru, Brazil
The Fog Catcher tells the story of Abel Cruz, a visionary whose invention brought water to arid regions of Peru. The film unfolds across two timelines, tracing Abel’s journey from his childhood in the lush highlands of Cusco to his later years as an activist in Río de Janeiro convincing... more
Main Producers: Daniel Rehder (Rehder Films), Javier Salvador (Rehder Films)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALThe Good Spirit
Original title: ملاك
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Palestine, UK
Noor (20s) is a young woman living in Gaza, disillusioned with her family.One day, she finds an injured street dog and brings it home, despite her Muslim family believing that dogs are impure and drive away good spirits. Noor keeps the dog hidden in the back yard until it heals,... more
Main Producers: Marie-Elena Dyche (Meraki Films Ltd)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALThe Old Gun
Original title: СТАРА РУШНИЦЯ
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
Ukraine, France
Occupied part of Ukraine, 2022. Ukrainian surgeon Oleh, who saves the lives of both civilians and enemies, tries to protect his own family by sending his wife and daughter to his father’s village. But when he arrives there on his daughter’s birthday, he finds only burned ruins and death brought... more
Main Producers: Egor Olesov (UNITED HEROES), Olha Maksiuk (Heroes Creative Studio), Jean-Charles Lévy (Forecast Pictures)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALThree Times Jenny
Film Co-Production Market & Pitching Forum
France, Germany
Jenny, 17, spends the summer as an intern in a 4-star hotel in Luxembourg, where her mother, Magda works as a housekeeper. A scout spots her and encourages her to audition for a modeling competition. While Jenny dreams of being elsewhere, Magda holds on to what she is building. In... more
Main Producers: Jonas Weydemann (Weydemann Bros), Delphine Schmit (Tripode Productions), Guillaume Dreyfus (Tripode Productions)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITALVia di Bravetta, 415
Wanna Taste IT?
Italy
Bravetta, city of Rome: a complex of five seven-story council buildings, where four hundred families found refuge from the streets. A crossroads of nationalities and generations: fragile, multicultural and anarchic. 2006, the year of the World Cup and flip phones. The year the Residence was evicted. It's hot, it's July... more
Main Producers: Flaminio Zadra (Dorje Film Srl)
Read the full project description on MIADIGITAL
