The Circle

Source: MIA

‘The Circle’

Valeriu Andriuta’s The Circle (Cercul) has won the Screen International Award at the C EU Soon work-in-progress programme at Rome’s MIA Market.

The Circle was one of several projects honoured at the MIA Awards 2025, which took place on the final day of the market which ran from October 6-10.

See below for full list of winners.

The Circle marks the feature directing debut of Romanian actor, writer and director Andriuta, known for his acting performances in Cristian Mungiu’s Occident and Beyond the Hills.

The Moldova-shot film centres on Agachi, a young detective who is assigned what seems to be an easy first case. Determined to prove himself, Agachi approaches the investigation with diligence, only to discover that what first appeared to be an accidental death is, in fact, a murder.

It is produced by Iulia Andriuta of Moldova’s Amprenta Films and and co-produced with Romania’s Idea Film Around the World. 

The Circle was showcased in MIA’s C EU Soon programme dedicated to European films in post-production looking for international sellers.

The C EU Soon jury comprised Jakob Abrahamsson, CEO of Sweden’s NonStop Entertainment; Samuel Blanc, co-head of international sales at France’s The Party Film Sales, France; and Gaia Furrer, artistic director of Venice’s Giornate degli Autori sidebar.

The jury said of The Circle: “Despite the challenges of shooting in Moldova, we have been truly impressed by how the director and producer managed to deliver such a precise portrait of a society where power relationships win over the rule of law.”

Last year’s C EU Soon winner was Tereza Nvotová’s Father, which went on to world premiere in Venice’s Horizons section and is Slovakia’s entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 98th Academy Awards.

Meanwhile, the MIA development award for outstanding film project went to coming of age feature I Have to Fuck Before the World Ends, the debut film of Andrea Benjamin Manenti.

The Italy-Philippines co-production, produced by Stefano Centini of Volos Films Italia and Carlo Hinterman of Citrullo International, draws on Manenti’s own family history to explore intimacy, memory, and resilience between two worlds.

The jury described it as a “strong proposition, from an exciting young new voice” and that they were “hooked by the generous blend of humor and tenderness behind this highly personal and original project.”

MIA reported around 2,800 attendees for its 10th anniversary edition in Rome, with participants coming from 64 countries. Over 100 projects were presented during the market.

MIA Award winners 2025

MIA Development Award for Outstanding Animation Project
The Golden Butterfly / Zlatnata Peperutka (Arg-Braz-Col-N.Mac-Sp).
Dir. Goce Cvetanovski. Prod. Makedonska Krepost, Blurr Stories, Technoscope Films, and The G7

MIA Development Award for Outstanding Doc Project
Edition 96 (Leb)
Dir. Ahmad Naboulsi. Prod. OOBconcept

MIA Development Award for Outstanding Drama Project
Aïnta!
Prod. Andreas Zoupanos Kritikos (Faliro House Productions). Written by Kevin Zans Ansong and Stavros Pamballis
Special mention: Dyouf / Guests
Prod. May Jabareen (Philistine Films). Written by Saleh Saadi

MIA Development Award for Outstanding Film Project
I Have to Fuck Before the World Ends
Dir. Andrea Benjamin Manenti. Prod. Stefano Centini (Volos Film) and Carlo Hinterman (Citrullo International)

Sony Pictures Television Award for Best Drama Project
The Roaring Banshees
Prod. Paul Donovan (Deadpan Pictures). Script. John Morton and Peter McGann

Paramount New Stories Award
POV-Point of view (Italy)
Prod. Tapeless Film. Created by Luca Murphy

GEDI Visual Award
Pestiferus Lupus
Dir. Ludovico Serra and Luca Jankovic. Prod. Box Vision
Special mention: Fish Don’t Close Their Eyes
Prod. Big Sur Srl, Oh!Pen; Artline Films; Jando Music. Dir. Audrey Gordon

Screen International Award / C EU Soon
The Circle (Cercul)
Dir. Valeriu Andriuta
Prod. Iulia Andriuta (Amprenta Films). Co-prod. Idea Film Around the World

Women in Film and Television Italia – WIFTMI Award
Roc and Lola (Roc e Lola)
Dir. Andrea Giro. Prod. Primal Shape

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