The MIA Market, held annually in Rome from October 6-10, has once again solidified its reputation as a crucial pre-Mipcom boutique event for the international content industry. This year, the market is presenting over 100 international TV series and formats, animation projects, feature films, and documentaries, all in various stages of their production cycle. These projects are being pitched to hundreds of top executives, underscoring the event's growing influence as a key industry cornerstone.

Gaia Tridente, head of MIA Market, emphasized the meticulous work undertaken by her curatorial team. Their efforts are focused on identifying market-ready projects and facilitating connections between producers, distributors, and content providers, ensuring that relevant projects find their way into the global market. Tridente proudly stated, "We generate deals and therefore serve as a real industry cornerstone. Titles that participate at MIA don't disappear into thin air, most of them eventually find their way [into the market]. This is also thanks to a team that clearly curates and develops projects and a program that is aligned with market needs and demands."

Among the standout projects taking center stage are new works from renowned Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan, Marvel and Disney concept artist Andrew Leung, and French animator and director Eléa Gobbe-Mévellec. Dolan's contribution, the French series "Rage," headlines the MIA Market’s influential drama strand, which showcases 15 projects from 12 countries. Co-created by Anaïs Topla and Mathieu Gouny and produced by Madelon Production, "Rage" delves into the genesis and rise of the skinhead movement in 1980s Paris. Pitched as a "bold, stylish series that can be experienced on many levels," it promises to blend "spectacular action with emotional depth." This six-episode series is currently in early development and will be penned by Topla, Gouny, and Marc Herpoux.

A significant highlight in the animation strand is "Ancient China of Mars," a sci-fi dramedy series created by L.A.-based filmmaker and animator Andrew Leung. Leung is widely recognized for his concept art contributions to major Disney and Marvel productions such as "Mulan" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." Produced by Snarky Elephant Productions, the series offers an offbeat yet timely exploration of the immigrant experience. It centers on an Earthling Chinese family, the Lees, who escape a climate change-stricken Earth and a rigid socioeconomic caste system, seeking a better life on Mars. However, they find themselves in purgatory on a space station, functioning as a holding pen for stateless immigrants. There, they open a failing Chinese restaurant, hoping it's the first step towards establishing roots and a middle-class life for their children. Leung describes the series as a pointed metaphor for how "the American dream these days is feeling more and more like a fantasy," reflecting an increasingly dystopian present reality and invoking the concept of "enshittification." The show draws from Leung’s personal experiences as the child of the only Chinese American family in smalltown Oregon, where he found refuge in his parents’ restaurant and sci-fi narratives like "Star Trek: The Next Generation." While rooted in his background, Leung emphasizes that the series’ themes are universal, addressing what it's like to be in a world "obviously not created for you," and exploring the roles of "Uber drivers of this paradise" created by tech elites. Neal Ludevig, a producer for Snarky Elephant Productions, lauded Leung’s vision for its universal appeal, stating, "Every country has immigrants. Every country has social class systems and people that are being displaced." "Ancient China of Mars" is one of 15-20 projects in development at Snarky Elephant, which focuses on identifying promising creators and diverse content through its Incubator program.

Another anticipated animation title is "The Northern Star," from French animator and director Eléa Gobbe-Mévellec, whose debut feature "The Swallows of Kabul" premiered at Cannes. Created with Milada Tesitelova, the film tells the "political, artistic and deeply human story of a young woman caught between two Koreas," following a 17-year-old North Korean refugee’s escape to Seoul.

Beyond these prominent names, the MIA Market's diverse lineup includes a variety of compelling projects. In the drama category, "Writers Retreat" from the U.K.'s BlackBox Multimedia investigates a mysterious disappearance in Spain. Dublin-based Deadpan Pictures and Canadian Shaftesbury Films present "The Roaring Banshees," an adaptation about an all-female band of Irish rebels turned criminals in 1920s Chicago. Dutch production group Lemming Film offers "Red Light Empire," a story of a Holocaust orphan building an empire in Amsterdam’s red-light district. Greek heavyweight Faliro House brings "Aïnta!," a rags-to-riches tale about a Greek Ghanaian immigrant aspiring to be a rap star.

The animation lineup also features "Argonauts," an adult sci-fi action-adventure series from Simon Duric, offering a futuristic take on the Greek myth. "The Rejects," a 10-episode series produced by Rick Mischel's Artists Animation Studio, follows history's most overlooked sidekicks trying to save the world.

Among the 12 feature films, Irish filmmaker Ivan Kavanaugh’s "Fugue" is a haunting tale of possession set during a storm. Egyptian Film Clinic presents Ahmed El Zoghby’s debut, "Draft Zero," about a struggling Cairo filmmaker documenting a refugee family. Norway’s Tatiana Delaunay directs "Summer of Jesus," a story of a guilt-ridden environmental activist returning to her Italian roots, produced by Thomas Robsahm.

Documentary highlights include "The Lawyer," from Polish Madants and Maciej Bochniak, which follows a Kenyan lawyer facing investigation. "Building Venice," a documentary series from Katia Bernardi, explores the hidden aspects of the iconic Italian city.

The MIA Market will conclude on October 10 with an awards ceremony, notably introducing the inaugural Sony Pictures Television Award. This new accolade will honor the best drama project selected from the MIA Drama Co-production Market & Pitching Forum, as chosen by a jury from Sony Pictures Television, further solidifying the market’s commitment to fostering high-quality content.