RomaFictionFest is preparing for the Market: this is the main new feature of the third edition of the event, scheduled to be held from 6th “” 11th July.

“We started in January and only have six months to get ready: so we will be basically planting our flag for the future”, explains Carlo Macchitella, who was recently put in charge of the RomaFictionFest Market.
The timing is very tight because the Market will be held within the dates set for the Festival, at the LUMSA University which is hosting the Screenings (a showcase for finished products) and the Pitchings (meetings between professionals about new projects).

The Festival, directed by Steve Della Casa will, as usual, be held at the Auditorium on Via della Conciliazione and in the theaters of the Cinema Adriano.

Macchitella announces the organizational features of the Screenings, starting with the target group: “not the buyers, like other markets”, he explains, “but the schedulers, i.e. the network directors and people responsible for the TV schedules”.

The supply will focus on Italian products:
“Our aim is to make Italian programs known to the people who schedule the networks.
Buyers usually follow the indications of the networks.
Since Italian products have never had a very easy time in other countries, we will try to direct our efforts towards a specialist market which is as professional as possible, i.e. the schedulers, who will then “act” on the buyers”.

The Screenings will follow the classic model of the Los Angeles Screenings: the three main Italian distributors, Rai Trade, Mediatrade and Sky, will present a kind of “selection” of the most significant products they distribute which have been broadcast on Italian networks between June 2008 and May 2009.
“If people are particularly interested in an individual product, they can view it at the various stands that each producer will have inside the market.
Any independent producers who haven’t sold the rights to some of their products will have a chance to present them at the end of the “selection”.”

The guests:
“We are inviting all the big free and pay TV networks.
Obviously, we will favor the geographical areas where we think our products will be most appreciated such as, for example, the Far East, Japan, Hong Kong, China, South America, Scandinavia and Eastern European countries.
Of course, we will also be inviting the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Spain, although we know it is much more difficult to enter those markets”.

“This is the first edition”, warns Macchitella, “so for us it would be a success if we get 100 schedulers from all the TV companies around the world – a reasonable yet ambitious objective” .