The 12th edition of Rome's MIA Market concluded its proceedings by celebrating notable international projects across television and film, highlighted by Belgian drama series "The Inheritance" capturing the Sony Pictures Television Award for best drama project. The annual co-production and pitching gathering wrapped its week-long slate in the Italian capital, distributing recognition and development support to an array of global creative teams.
Produced by Kristoffel Mertens and Kato Maes under the Belgian production company Panenka, "The Inheritance" centers on the contentious legal and interpersonal aftermath triggered by the death of an affluent widow, which sets off a fierce struggle over her estate.
Selected Award Winners at MIA Market 12th Edition
| Award | Winning Project | Category / Format | Key Creative / Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony Pictures Television Award | The Inheritance | Drama Series | Produced by Kristoffel Mertens & Kato Maes (Panenka) |
| Outstanding Drama Project | Day Traitors | Drama Series | Produced by Nordisk Film Production; Written by M. Stensgaard, B. Hansen, M. Alami |
| Outstanding Animation Series | Sophie, if You Are There Give Us a Sign! | Animated Series | Directed by Dario Piana (Brand-Cross, 20 Pictures to Midnight, Digitoonz) |
| Outstanding Animated Film | All the Softness in the World | Animated Feature | Directed by Ayce Kartal; Produced by Les Valseurs |
| Outstanding Documentary Project | Loving Ika | Documentary | Directed by Emilio Di Stefano & Fabian Sigurd; Produced by Gunilla Film AB |
| Screen International Award | Off-Season | Feature Film | Directed by Marta Font; Produced by Mireia Graell Vivancos (Ringo Media) |
| Mnemonica Award | Diatribe | Thriller Feature | Directed by Shaun O’Connor; Produced by Maureen O’Connell |
| WIFTMI Award | Animal Instinct | Feature Film | Directed by Vittoria Rizzardi Peñalosa; Produced by Cinefonie |
Sony Pictures Television Honors 'The Inheritance'
The award's selection panel, which featured Sony Pictures' head of drama development Andrew Plotkin, highlighted the project's distinctive approach to its central figure and setting. The jury cited the series for "making a lasting impression through its complex, charismatic female protagonist in a traditionally male-dominated setting."
In further evaluating the drama, the panel noted how its character framework elevates the central plot device. The jury explained that "the idea of emotionally driven characters inhabiting an original world, combined with the universally relatable theme of family inheritance, gives the series an authentic and distinctive resonance that sets it apart in the television landscape."
MIA Development Awards Support Global Co-Productions
Beyond the Sony Pictures Television prize, the market handed out MIA Development Awards across its four primary co-production and pitching strands, providing projects with direct cash prizes to aid ongoing creative development. In the drama category, the award for outstanding drama project went to the Danish series "Day Traitors." Backed by Nordisk Film Production producers Deborah Bayer Marlow and Michael Bille Frandsen, and written by Molly Stensgaard, Bo Hr. Hansen, and Milad Alami, the show chronicles an intelligence officer named Amir who betrays his homeland to shield his family, inadvertently causing its ruin.
Animated entries also earned major prizes. The award for outstanding animation series project went to director Dario Piana's "Sophie, if You Are There Give Us a Sign!," an Italy-Belgium-Spain co-production backed by Brand-Cross, 20 Pictures to Midnight, and Digitoonz Entertainment that follows a 13-year-old girl accidentally drawn into a supernatural realm. Meanwhile, the outstanding animated film honor was awarded to director Ayce Kartal's "All the Softness in the World," produced by French outfit Les Valseurs and focusing on a 1950s Istanbul family dealing with an ancient curse.
Documentaries received targeted recognition as well. "Loving Ika," directed by Emilio Di Stefano and Fabian Sigurd and produced by Sweden's Daniéla Frykstrand and Gunilla Film AB, won the outstanding documentary award for its exploration of ethics surrounding artificial intelligence and human interaction. A special mention in the documentary field went to "Bleaching Nemo," an ocean conservation investigation directed by Jason Brooks and produced by Pierangelo Pirak of Pomona Pictures.
Special Industry Honors and Rome Market Growth
Several partner-sponsored awards highlighted additional titles during the final presentations. The GEDI Visual Award was presented to director Gigi Roccati and producer Verdiana for "The Decoy Artist – The Incredible Story of Mario Moselli and Saddam Hussein’s Phantom Army." The Screen International Award honored the Spanish feature "Off-Season," directed by Marta Font and produced by Mireia Graell Vivancos of Ringo Media. The Mnemonica Award went to the Irish thriller "Diatribe," directed by Shaun O’Connor and produced by Maureen O’Connell. Additionally, the Women in Film and Television Italia (WIFTMI) Award for gender representation and inclusion was awarded to Cinefonie's debut feature "Animal Instinct," directed by Vittoria Rizzardi Peñalosa.
The closing ceremony marked the conclusion of a significant logistical expansion for MIA. The event brought together 2,800 industry professionals from 64 countries, matching the previous year's attendance level while presenting more than 100 projects from 43 nations. The footprint occupied seven venues, converting Rome's Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini into an integrated industry hub.
"We close this edition of MIA knowing that we have taken an important step in the market’s evolution," stated MIA market chief Gaia Tridente, noting that the gathered professionals worked to interpret shifting dynamics in content development, financing, and production as the international market models continue to transform.
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Source: Variety
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