“The Roaring Banshees,” an adaptation of the hit play by John Morton and Peter McGann that follows an all-female Irish rebel group pursuing a life of crime in 1920s Chicago, closed Rome’s MIA Market on Friday night and was one of the big winners at the 11th annual event, winning the newly created Sony Pictures Television Award for Best Drama Project.
Sony Pictures Television president Catherine Pope, who presented the award, praised the series, written by Morton and McGann and produced by Paul Donovan of Dublin-based Deadpan Pictures, as “representing the bold and innovative storytelling that makes for extraordinary television.”
“Roaring Banshees, rooted in an often-overlooked chapter of history and driven by a compelling female protagonist, offers a perspective we don’t get enough of, which is why the jury chose it as the winner of the Sony Pictures Television Drama Award,” Pope said.
MIA Development Awards were also presented to four selected projects in four categories: Co-Production Market and Pitching Forum, each receiving a cash award to support their development.
The award for Best Drama Project went to “Aïnta!,” produced by Andreas Zupanos Kritikos of Greek giant Faliro House Productions and written by Kevin Zans Anson and Stavros Pambaris. The show follows a second-generation Greek-Ghanaian immigrant who embarks on a journey of self-discovery in pursuit of his dream of becoming a rap star.
A particular highlight in the drama category was the series “Guest,” written by Saleh Saad and produced by May Jabareen (Philistine Films), about a Palestinian man who returns to his Bedouin village to help his mother run a guesthouse.
The award for Outstanding Animated Project went to Gose Cvetanowski’s “The Golden Butterfly,” which follows a group of friends on a dizzying adventure in the Colombian rainforest. Produced by Makedonska Krepost and co-produced by Blurr Stories, Technscope Films and The G7.
In the film category, the winner was “We Must Have Sex Before the World Ends,” directed by Andrea Benjamin Manenti and produced by Stefano Centini (Volos Film) and Carlo Hintermann (Citrullo International). In this deeply personal project, Manenti draws from his own family history to tell a story of intimacy, memory, and resilience between two worlds.
Finally, the Best Documentary Award went to “Edition 96,” directed by Ahmad Nabulsi and produced by OOBconcept, which spotlights stories of courage and the struggle for civil rights.
Several additional awards were also presented at Friday’s closing ceremony. This year’s Paramount New Stories Award, given to fact-based entertainment projects, went to POV, produced by Tapeless Film and produced by Luca Murphy (Italy). The GEDI Visual Award went to Pestiferus Lupus, directed by Ludovico Serra and Luka Janković and produced by Box Vision, while the special award went to Fish Don’t Close Their Eyes, directed by Audrey Gordon and produced by Big Sur Srl, Oh!Pen, Artline Films and Jando Music.
The Screen International Award went to “The Circle,” directed by Valeriu Andriuta, produced by Julia Andriuta (Amprenta Films), and co-produced with Idea Films Around the World. Finally, the Women in Italian Film and Television – WIFTMI Award, which recognizes projects with the greatest potential to address gender inequality and promote inclusion, was awarded to the animated television series “Rock and Lola”, directed by Andrea Giro and produced by Primal Shape.
The awards ceremony capped off a busy week in the Eternal City, where more than 100 projects were announced from nearly 500 submissions during MIA’s co-production market and pitching forum, as well as an additional showcase of animation, documentaries, TV formats and series.
Market Director Gaia Tridente said this year’s MIA “reflects our internationality,” describing the event as “a mosaic of countries and cultures spanning Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific,” while underscoring the host city’s position as “a destination where stories gain momentum and shape the future.”
Alessandro Ussai, President of the Italian National Film, Audiovisual and Digital Industry Association (ANICA), and Chiara Svarigia, President of the Italian Audiovisual Producers Association (APA), congratulated the “high number of visitors” to this year’s market, saying: “These figures confirm the interest of the entire Italian and global audiovisual industry in the market co-created by ANICA and APA”, adding that the event continues to grow. “Increasing intercontinental reach opens up new opportunities for exchange, collaboration and inspiration, both in production and distribution.”
