ROME – The day before the RomaFictionFest’s industry event drew to a close, director Anthony Root declared it a success, with more than 160 acquisition executives, international producers, and Italian production officials participating.
Root said the Sept. 28-30 event is the only television market event in the world associated with a creative festival, as many film markets are. The five-year-old RomaFictionFest, which got underway Sunday, focuses exclusively on television fiction.
Root said that many of the deals first broached in Rome will be closed next week at MIPCOM, but he said one of the areas drawing more interest than expected was Italian television programs, were 48 new fiction titles screened for potential buyers.
In addition to screenings, the industry event included three master classes, more than 100 scheduled meetings between international buyers and Italian producers, and the announcement of new incentive schemes for Italian and international productions filmed in Lazio, the Italian region that includes Rome.
“We think the future of the industry event at the RomaFictionFest is good in part because there’s no similar event elsewhere in the world, where there is a relaxed place for executives to meet and discuss possible deals in conjunction with a creative festival,” Root said in an interview. “At most television markets it’s a matter of trading business cards and maybe speaking again a few weeks down the line. Here the pace is much more relaxed.”
