EXCLUSIVE: This week, at the MIA Market in Rome, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is set to unveil a new award for drama.
The debut of the Sony Pictures Television Award will take place during the prestigious Italian industry gathering. The award will be given to the winning entry of the annual MIA Drama Coproduction Market & Pitching Forum, selected by a panel from Sony Pictures Television among 15 competing projects.
Competing projects include the 1980s Parisian skinheads drama Rage, directed by Xavier Dolan, and the Dutch art heist drama Hitler’s Horses: An Arthur Brand Story, produced by Femke Wolting from Submarine and penned by Ed McCardie. Entries also come from various countries including Palestine, the UK, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, and Italy.
Over the years, SPT has shown strong support for MIA, with Katherine Pope, the President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, previously speaking at the event. Pope is set to return to Rome this week to present the award, marking SPT’s first official sponsorship of the Drama Coproduction Market.
The introduction of the Sony Pictures Television Award “highlights our mutual dedication to nurturing fresh, innovative talent, supporting international coproductions, and promoting narratives that have the capacity to cross international boundaries,” stated SPT and MIA in a joint declaration.
“We are excited to collaborate with MIA and the exceptional team led by Gaia Tridente to establish the Sony Pictures Television Award for Best Drama Project 2025,” Pope commented. “The Drama Coproduction Market at MIA assembles global creators who are at the forefront of innovation and global thinking. We are eager to back such ambitious projects that not only cross cultural boundaries but also preserve their distinctiveness. It’s crucial to support these narratives and the talented individuals behind them.”
MIA director Tridente has consistently described her market as a launching pad for outstanding projects on their journey to the screen.
“With the new Sony Pictures Television Award, we cement a significant partnership with a leading global entity and underscore the importance of the MIA Co-Production Market,” Tridente expressed today. “I am particularly thankful to Katherine Pope and Sony Pictures Television for their confidence and foresight, which affirm MIA’s strategic position as a hub for international co-production.
“This award not only celebrates the emerging drama projects and talents from our market but also strengthens our commitment to bridging creativity with business on a worldwide scale. Together, our goal is to promote stories with global appeal and provide producers with tangible opportunities for development and success.”
MIA kicks off today (October 6) and will continue throughout the week, setting the stage for next week’s MIPCOM. Now in its eleventh year and fourth under the leadership of Tridente, the event places a strong emphasis on its pitching competitions for drama, documentaries, and animation.
This year’s MIA will also feature a Book Adaptation Forum and the Apollo Series training initiative, created in partnership with Series Mania Institute and Goteborg Film TV’s Drama Vision track. Additionally, a short-film showcase, ‘Vertical’ AI workshops curated by Largo.ai, and an Industry Insider Bootcamp presented by UTA will be part of the event.
As usual, the event will include panel sessions, content showcases, the MIA Buyers’ Club, the C EU Soon work-in-progress program, market screenings, networking sessions, workshops, roundtables, and conferences. The 2024 edition saw a participation increase of 10% year-on-year, attracting 2,800 attendees.
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
His sharp analysis and investigative reports make complex financial topics accessible to all readers.
