MIFED: one threat gone, one more to go. (Film Markets).

Now that the threat of the London Screenings overcoming MIFED is gone, a new challenge emerges in the form of the MIP screenings, held in Cannes during MIPCOM.

The Annual MIFED event, the 69th in 42 years, is a market focusing on theatrical product for cinema, home video and television, and will be held at the Milan Fair in Italy, November 3-7, 2002.

The London Screenings, an event that for years positioned itself just prior to the start of MIFED, in an effort to rake away from its business, is still loosely organized around London, and will take place October 28-31. It has lost its momentum, however, succumbing to the renewed strength of MIFED. While screenings in London are scattered about the city with rented facilities, in Milan, screening rooms are conveniently located inside the fairgrounds that house the market.

The MIP Screenings in Cannes during MIPCOM, October 7-11, are picking up where they left off in their first attempt during MIPCOM 1995, offering theatrical distributors a chance to screen product at the Palais or around Cannes (see separate story on pg. 22).

This new threat to MIFED comes at a time when the Milan market is moving from a state-run organization to a semi-private enterprise. Today, MIFED is owned by Fondazione Fiera Milano (controlled by the Lombardy Region) but run by Rassegne SpA, a private organization that specializes in trade shows for the furniture industry.

This year, MIFED organizers are, for the first time, like any Milan Fair clients, renting facilities and floor space which, in turn, will then be sold to exhibitors. In the transactions, Rassegne SpA hopes to make a profit. But while in the past MIFED's notorious disorganization was mostly attributed to the large number of bureaucracy levels, this time undermining the "lean and mean" organizing structure could be the reduced financial resources that Rassegne SpA assigned to MIFED.

Even though, officially, no perceived differences will be evident, a few problems are expected to surface, assuming that the weather will nor provide the usual rainy days to add to the misery. One definite change, however, is the key entrance that, this year, will be moved from Porta Giulio Cesare to Porta Spinola, 50 meters closer to the Metro station.

On the positive side is the fact that, contrary to the past few editions, this year there are 22 days between the end of MIPCOM and the beginning of MIFED (but only 16 days between MIPCOM and the London Screenings, adding to the latter's demise), thus allowing MIPCOM participants to return home with plenty of time to prepare for MIFED.

Last year, with only 15 days between the two markets, many executives were forced to extend their European stays beyond any useful purpose. Some distributors were hoping to take advantage of the pre-MIFED London Screenings, but when those were revealed to be a disappointment, the losses were compounded.

MIFED was launched in 1960 and originally had two yearly editions: one in April that focused on television and one in October that emphasized theatrical product. However, MIFED organizers weren't able to face the strength of MIPTV in Cannes, also in April, thus holding to events proved to be a daunting feat for MIFED. Midway through the 80s, organizers canceled the April market and blended film and TV product into a single autumn festival.

MIFED participants typically come from more than 70 countries. In past years, more than 80 percent of patrons came from abroad, taking advantage of the high-tech facilities provided. Twenty-seven Dolby surround-sound screening rooms line the top floors of the Fiera Milano and MIFED is proud to provide attendees with an exhibition area and screening facilities -- all under the same roof.

Last year's 68th annual MIFED, held from October 28 to November 1, screened some 470 films by acquisition executives. Out of the roughly 229 exhibitors -- who represented 20 different countries -- nearly half (a total of 107 companies) were from the United States. Italy and the U.K. came in second, tied with 22 distributors each in attendance, followed by France (14), Hong Kong (also with 14) and Germany (9). And while at press time numbers for this year's market were still unclear, totals looked to exceed those of previous years.