INNOVATION FOR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: THE MIA CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
The Innovation for the Creative Industries programme brings together leading international voices to explore the transformations reshaping the audiovisual industry, from creative excellence and independent production to artificial intelligence, new storytelling formats, IP development and evolving business models.
Can Excellence Survive the Mainstream? examines the balance between creative ambition, algorithms and global audiences with Spanish producers Belén Atienza, Domingo Corral, Fernando Bovaira and María Zamora, moderated by Andrea Occhipinti (Lucky Red).
Can Regulation Strengthen Independent Producers? addresses IP ownership, investment obligations and the sustainability of independent production with Julie-Jeanne Regnault (EPC), Anthony Muldoon (CEPI) and Carlotta Calori (Indigo Film), moderated by Tim Dams (Screen International).
International packaging and financing strategies take centre stage in How To Navigate Challenges And Opportunities In International Film And TV, featuring Andrea Calderwood (Potboiler Productions), Anthony Mestriner (Casarotto Ramsay & Associates), Lorenzo De Maio (De Maio Entertainment) and Daniel Campos Pavoncelli (Indiana Production).
Meanwhile, Producing with AI: Augmentation or Replacement? explores AI’s impact on production with Max Wiedemann (Mediawan) and Tom Paton (AiMation), moderated by Stephen Saltzman (Fieldfisher), followed by a keynote from Al Munteanu (BriskPace Studios).
Changing audience habits and storytelling models are explored in Who Are We Still Making Drama For? Reconnecting Storytelling and Audiences, with Kelly Luegenbiehl (Shorties Studio), Emanuele Marchesi (Sky Studios Italia), Jamie Lynn (Fremantle), Andrew Plotkin (Sony Pictures Television) and Marike Muselaers (Nordisk Film Group).
Fear Not: How Horror Is Rewriting the Film Market examines the genre’s growing creative and commercial relevance with Rachael Labes (IFC | Shudder), Peter Kuplowsky (Toronto International Film Festival) and Andrea Romeo (I Wonder Pictures), among others.
The MIA Fireside Chats welcome Marco Bassetti (Banijay Entertainment) with the special moderation of Marco Chimenz (producer and strategic advisor of MIA), filmmaker Edward Berger (Conclave, All Quiet on the Western Front), Anna Marsh (CANAL+ / STUDIOCANAL), Jane Tranter (Bad Wolf), Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Asif Kapadia (Senna, Amy, Diego Maradona) and acclaimed documentary director Kim Longinotto, who will reflect on their careers, creative visions and the evolution of international storytelling.
A special keynote by Trevor Roth (Roddenberry Entertainment) celebrates 60 years of Star Trek, exploring the franchise’s enduring cultural legacy and future.
Music’s narrative power is explored in SCORE (R)Evolution. How Music Shapes Reality: From Documentary Truth to Cinematic Mythmaking, featuring Sophia Dilley (Concord Originals / RKO), filmmaker Pippo Mezzapesa, composer Ginevra Nervi, Colm O’Callaghan (RTÉ), musician Tommaso Piotta and filmmaker Federico Zampaglione.
Animation and children’s content are addressed through Audience Engagement: Understanding Gen Alpha & Gen Z, with Jules Borkent (Nickelodeon Kids & Family) and Chapman Maddox (BBC Studios); Distribution Strategies: The Future of Animation Distribution, featuring Nele De Wilde (Peyo Company), Nicola Andrews (Blue Ant Media), Diego Ibanez (DeAPlaneta) and Monica Levy (Federation Studios); and The Brand Experience: Building IPs Beyond The Screen, exploring licensing, consumer products, gaming and location-based entertainment.
The Children’s Pubcasters Meeting also returns, bringing together Pierre Siracusa (France Télévisions), Roberto Genovesi (Rai), Julie Lind-Holm Hansen (DR), Marc Janssen (RTBF), Izabela Rieben (RTS) and Vicky Schorederus (YLE) for closed-door and public discussions.
The programme also features Back to the Future: It’s All About the Story, examining the evolution of distribution and consumption, from streaming and digital platforms to physical media and cinema as an event experience.
A series of specialised forums, roundtables and Market Insights complements the conference programme.
The invitation-only Vertical Drama Forum, moderated by Robert Franke (Intaglio Films), examines the fast-growing vertical and short-form drama ecosystem with Frederic Balmary (Banijay), Gregor Sauter (RED PONY), Kelly Luegenbiehl (Shorties Studio), Ilkin Kavukçu (Iki Dikika Creative House), Elly Vervloet (VRT), Daniele Cesarano (Mediaset), Eliane Wikert (ZDF), Jarmo Lampela (YLE) and Nicola De Angelis (Fabula Pictures).
In the field of international cooperation, MIA will host the formal launch of the Italian-French expert group on European film and audiovisual policies, established by Italy’s Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual and France’s CNC under the bilateral Cooperation Programme signed in Antibes on 25 June.
In partnership with Fondazione Roma Lazio Film Commission, Roma Lazio in Serie: Market Insight explores new production models, audience trends, financing, co-production and international distribution opportunities for episodic content.
A special Focus on South Korea, organised with KOCCA – Korea Creative Content Agency, combines showcases, industry discussions and B2B networking. Diane Min (CJ ENM) will explore the international success of Korean content through The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, Dear X and True Beauty, while Kim Jihie (NEXTKEY) will present Betting on Fact, the reality-news game show launched on Wavve in March 2026.
MIA XR explores the convergence of gaming, audiovisual production and immersive entertainment through How to Build a Successful Career in the Video Game Industry, featuring Guido Schmidt (Rovio), Valeria Rossi (Remedy Entertainment), Diana Diriwaechter (VFX and Virtual Production) and Alì Farha (Behold Ventures), moderated by Mirko Minenza (PlayHire).
Beyond the Screen: The New Frontiers of Entertainment examines live, immersive and interactive IP experiences with Mark Bustard, Sebastiano Vitale (Flow Productions), Ludovica Arci (SARAVÁ) and Matteo Ceccotti (Red Raion), moderated by Francesco Fiore (Alter Agent).
The MIA Book Adaptation Forum presents Le Perfezioni: A Blueprint for International Adaptation and Co-Production, exploring the international film adaptation of Vincenzo Latronico‘s acclaimed novel with Marta Donzelli (Vivo Film), Roman Paul (Razor Film), Andrea Calderwood (Potboiler Productions) and Claire Sabatié-Garat (The Italian Literary Agency).
The DOC CONNECT Market Insights address documentary commissioning, co-production and distribution with Nevine Mabro (BBC), Mikael Österby (SVT), Muhammad Refaat (Al Jazeera Documentary), Anna Godas (Dogwoof), Lea Fels (Scenery), Stephanie Carter (THIRTEEN), Marie Beuzard (ARTE France), Suzanne Biermann (ARTE G.E.I.E.) and Sabine Bubeck-Paaz (ZDF/ARTE).
Further closed-door Market Insights and Roundtables include a session organised with ACE Producers and Remaking Stories: IP, Creativity and New Audiences, featuring Alon Aranya (Paper Plane Productions) and Ron Halpern (STUDIOCANAL), examining remakes, rights management and the international potential of existing IP.
The MIA Vertical Drama Forum is an exclusive, invitation-only roundtable dedicated to the rapid rise of vertical drama, microdrama and short-form series. The Forum explores the emerging storytelling formats and business models driving this fast-growing market, from development and commissioning to production, monetisation and mobile-first distribution.
Moderated by Robert Franke (Intaglio Films), the discussion brings together leading industry professionals including Frederic Balmary (Banijay), Kelly Luegenbiehl (Shorties Studio), Daniele Cesarano (Mediaset), Eliane Wikert (ZDF), Jarmo Lampela (YLE) and Nicola De Angelis (Fabula Pictures).
Finally, for the first time, MIA and Lega Calcio Serie A join forces to connect the audiovisual industry with the world of football through targeted meetings with producers, exploring new stories and IP with potential for film, series, documentaries and emerging formats.
