Interview: Caterina Mazzucato • Head of Industry, Bio to B - Industry Days | Doc&Drama - “The Documentary Film Sector Is Expanding, but in Moments of Crisis It’s Important to Diversify” - Biografilm 2026 – Bio to B

Key Takeaways

• Bio to B Doc showcased 30+ documentary projects across development stages
• Over 500 industry professionals attended the Bologna event
• New Drama strand connects 150 operators with rights holders and producers
• Italian tax‑credit reform favors large players, squeezing smaller documentary producers
• Diversification urged as a strategy to weather funding crises

Pulse Analysis

The documentary landscape in Europe is experiencing a surge in production volume, yet it remains unevenly organized, especially in Italy. Bio to B, now in its 13th year, has evolved from a simple market attached to the Biografilm festival into a standalone industry platform that bridges documentary creators with international buyers, broadcasters, and ancillary markets. By curating a mix of pitching forums, archival showcases, and development labs, the event cultivates a pipeline that feeds both emerging talent and seasoned producers, reinforcing Italy’s cultural export potential.

A distinctive feature of the 2026 edition is the Bio to Be Drama strand, which convenes roughly 150 participants ranging from literary agents to video‑game directors. Through speed‑date sessions and one‑on‑one meetings, the Drama section transforms unpublished manuscripts and intellectual property into viable audiovisual projects, fostering a virtuous circle of adaptation and co‑production. This cross‑pollination not only expands revenue streams for documentary makers but also injects fresh narrative formats into the broader media ecosystem, attracting platforms hungry for compelling, rights‑clear content.

However, the sector’s optimism is tempered by policy headwinds. Recent Italian tax‑credit reforms have recalibrated incentive structures, disproportionately benefiting large production houses while marginalizing smaller documentary outfits. The resulting funding crunch threatens to curtail the diversity of voices that festivals like Bio to B champion. Mazzucato’s call for diversification—balancing documentary and fiction projects and seeking finance‑friendly stories—offers a pragmatic roadmap. By widening their creative portfolios, producers can mitigate risk, sustain employment, and preserve the eclectic storytelling that defines European documentary cinema.