MIA XR

For its 2026 edition, MIA XR broadens its scope to explore the strategic connections between the video game industry, the audiovisual sector and technological innovation, placing intellectual property at the heart of the conversation as a key driver of growth, evolution and value creation in the global content market.

In an ecosystem increasingly shaped by media convergence, the programme examines how films, series, video games and immersive experiences can move beyond simple adaptation to become narrative and production platforms capable of generating new business opportunities. IP ownership and exploitation, licensing, strategic partnerships, financing cross-media expansion, audience development and new market models are among the key themes running throughout the programme.

The programme combines opportunities to discover new IP with a series of talks placing creativity and audience experience at the centre of the MIA conversation.

Through the Collective Pitch, MIA aims to create direct connections between creators and international partners, offering them the opportunity to discover new IP through a dedicated pitching forum and B2B meetings in our new Demo Area, where they can meet development teams and experience first-hand the new frontiers of interactive storytelling.

The selected works are not simply a showcase of Italian video games, but reflect new forms of storytelling and the growing circulation of IP across cinema, audiovisual content, gaming and immersive media.

Six studios, six different approaches to interactive storytelling. The MIA XR Demo Area explores the increasingly fluid boundaries between audiovisual content, video games, animation and immersive experiences, showcasing how stories and IP can travel across different media and evolve into new forms of audience engagement.

MIA XR TALKS

Alongside its project-focused activities, MIA XR will host the panel How to Build a Successful Career in the Video Game Industry, bringing together industry professionals to discuss the skills required by today’s video game sector, emerging career paths, and new approaches to recruiting and developing talent in the age of artificial intelligence. The conversation will also explore the growing exchange of skills and expertise across video games, film, animation and audiovisual production.

Speakers:
Guido Schmidt | Design Director, Rovio (Finland)
Valeria Rossi | Lead Recruiter, Remedy Entertainment Plc (Finland)
Diana Diriwaechter | Professor of VFX and Virtual Production (Switzerland)
Alì Farha | Investor, Behold Ventures (Sweden)

Moderator:
Mirko Minenza | Founder, PlayHire (Spain)

The panel Beyond the Screen: The New Frontiers of Entertainment broadens the perspective further, exploring the convergence of entertainment and the expansion of storytelling into live, immersive and interactive experiences.

Entertainment is increasingly becoming something audiences can experience, inhabit and interact with, rather than simply watch. Bringing together different creative perspectives and languages — from large-scale live productions and visual arts to virtual production, immersive and brand experiences — the conversation explores what happens when stories and IP move beyond the screen and into physical, virtual and interactive spaces.

Technology enables this transformation, but experience lies at its core: finding new ways to enter a story, build a relationship with an IP, and turn content into something audiences can not only watch, but actively experience.

Speakers:
Mark Bustard | Strategic Advisor and Executive Producer for live, immersive and IP-led experiences (UK)
Sebastiano Vitale | CEO – Art Director and Executive Producer, Flow Productions (Italy)
Ludovica Arci | Co-Founder, SARAVÁ (Italy)
Matteo Ceccotti | Film Director, Red Raion (Italy)

Moderator:
Francesco Fiore | Executive Producer, Alter Agent (Italy)

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