The MIA Unscripted program of Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo 2021 (October 13-17) will present 13 new documentary projects during the upcoming edition, comprising 9 feature docs and 4 docu-series.
Curated by Marco Spagnoli, the MIA Unscripted program will also welcome a number of prestigious documentarians who will share their expertise, knowledge and experience with Italian and international guests in attendance, both in person and online.
This includes a keynote by acclaimed producer and director R.J. Cutler, “who has been on the frontline of American documentary filmmaking for the past thirty years,” write market organisers. “From his Oscar-nominated feature doc The War Room to his groundbreaking Emmy-winning prime time series American High; from his Sundance Award winning The September Issue to this year’s global sensation Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, Cutler’s work has been demonstrating the wide appeal and marketplace vitality of non-fiction since long before anyone was talking about the Golden Age of Documentary.”
In an era when streamers are routinely paying eight figure sums for documentary features, and as non-fiction films and series “dominate the cultural conversation,” Cutler will examine the current state of the documentary landscape and examine what the non-fiction filmmaking community can expect in years to come.
Two other key protagonists of the seventh edition are the 20-year director/editor team of Cosima Spender and Valerio Bonelli, responsible for Palio and SanP, Sins of the Savior. During a masterclass they will explore the development of characters and narrative construction within a documentary, from inception to delivery, be it feature length or series. The most delicate or vulnerable stage is the edit, they argue, when the director and editor’s vision can make or break the story.
MIA UNSCRIPTED: Doc Pitching Forum
With 13 projects ranging from sport to music, from environmental issues to politics, this year’s Doc Pitching Forum showcases a wide spectrum of content, centring on strong, controversial and intriguing characters.
Feature Doc category:
- LIVE TILL I DIE directed by Anders Teigen, Oscar Hedin, Gustav Ågerstrand and Åsa Ekman, produced by Film and Tell
- TOPPER HEADON, I FOUGHT THE LAW by Lionel Guedj, produced by To Be Continued
- SLAVE ISLAND, produced by Harald House Belgium BV, and directed by Jimmy Hendrickx and Jeremy Kewuan
- THE MAYOR – ME, MUSSOLINI AND THE MUSEUM, by Piergiorgio Curzi and Sabika Shah Povia, produced by Maurizio Carta for Road Television
- STONEBREAKERS by Valerio Ciriaci, produced by Awen Films and set during the pandemic.
- SUNKEN MEMORIES, produced by Leonardo Baraldi for Schicchera Production and directed by Luca Manes.
- 5 NANOMOLES – THE OLYMPIC DREAM OF A TRANS WOMAN by Elisa Mereghetti.
- I DON’T FORGIVE by Simone Spampinato and Elisa Faccioni, produced by Manuel Grieco for Jumping Flea.
- WANTED: RONI KALDERON, directed by Erez Laufer and Hilla Medalia.
Docuseries category
- QUEEN OF CHESS by Bernadett Tuza Ritter, a five-episode project on the story of the true Queen of Chess, the Hungarian Judit Pogar, produced by Queenside Pictures and selected in collaboration with Docs Barcelona.
- RADICALS directed by Matteo Ferrarini and produced by Matteo Pecorara for Small Boss; ODYSSEY: BEHIND THE MYTH by Massimo Brega, produced by Camilla Tartaglione for Kepach.
- REMAKING OF LOVE, produced by Zenit Arti Audiovisive, and directed by Lucio Basadonne and Anna Pollio
Across the wider MIA Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo presentation, 2021 sees a 30%+ increase in feature film screenings (140+ screenings and 80+ worldwide and market previews), which marks “a clear proof of the desire to plunge back into the cinematic experience and meet face to face with distributors, directors and the international film community.”
Other new highlights of MIA 2021 include a new program dedicated to the latest technologies applied to the audiovisual sector. ‘Innovation for Creative Industries’ is presented thanks to an agreement with the Ministry of Economic Development.
The Next Generation EU section, presented in collaboration with the Lazio Region, is an innovative market incubator for young professionals, screenwriters and talents of the future.
More details of the MIA programme will be published over the coming weeks. Official website: www.miamarket.it
