By Dom Serafini. The fourth edition of RomaFictionFest (RFF) is set to take place in Rome from Monday, July 5 through Saturday, July 10, 2010. The festival is the only one in Italy entirely dedicated to television drama.

RFF is organized by the Rome-based Roberto Rossellini Foundation with the financial support of the Lazio Region, the Rome Chamber of Commerce and the APT (Television Producers Association).
At the Festival-cum market presentation in New York City in mid-January, Michele Misuraca, managing director of the Roberto Rossellini Foundation, reported that the budget for the event is the same as last year, at seven million euro (U.S.$10 million), 70 percent of which comes from government institutions  and the rest from private enterprises such as BMW, which is one of the main sponsors.
According to Francesco Gesualdi, president of the Roberto Rossellini Foundation, this year the stars of Disney’s Desperate Housewives will be RFF’s guests of honor.
Kass Thomas Corbelli, deputy director of the “Industry” or trade section of RFF, announced that the Walt Disney studios will be partners for the Industry Week portion of the event.
    Last year’s event saw more than 43,000 viewers attend its screenings, with 4,000 members of the press registered alongside the 1,000 industry participants, 90 international guests and 22 production companies on hand.
The aim of RFF is to keep the Italian industry growing through the enhancement and exportation of Italy’s best audiovisual products.
    RFF also includes an Industry Week, featuring RomaTVPitching and RomaTVScreenings sessions. More than 1,000 participants and international guests from six continents have participated in meetings for the RomaTVScreenings, emphasizing connections between buyers and international co-producers. Twenty-two television broadcasters and four national broadcasters were involved in last year’s Screenings, presenting over 60 products. RomaTVPitching featured 350 meetings between producers and potential clients.