Some careers begin with a degree. Paolo Ciccarelli’s began with a scam. (Yes, really.)

What was meant to be a short trip to London turned into a five-year detour — retail jobs, canceled plans, and a crash course in international storytelling. Now, he's one of the most trusted voices in European drama: an International Scripted Advisor for Film & TV and Head of Drama at MIA - International Audiovisual Market in Rome.

🎙️ In this deeply human (and sometimes hilarious) conversation, Paolo shares:

• What Fleabag taught him about trusting new voices

• Why saying no is often the hardest part of his job

• His soft spot for queer and underrepresented stories

• The wildest case of mistaken identity on a red carpet

• And the simple superpower that’s fueled his entire career

✨ A story about listening, letting go, and learning to trust the chaos.
This one is for anyone who’s ever made a U-turn — and found themselves in exactly the right place.

In this new episode of Unwritten+ Seriencamp Conference Special, Irina Ignatiew speaks with Samya Hafsaoui—a Dutch-Moroccan filmmaker, writer, cultural critic, and the kind of multi-hyphenate who doesn’t wait for permission—she builds her own stage.

Her debut feature is a smart, funny, deeply personal story about ADHD, fan culture, and the pressure to finish what you start—even when your brain has other plans. She’s building it from scratch: writing the screenplay, a companion novel, and a stage play. Why? Because this story matters—especially for young women of color who rarely see themselves, or their struggles, on screen.

She’s also proof that “taste freeze” is real—those teenage comfort films never let go. (Princess Diaries 2, The Devil Wears Prada, High School Musical—the rewatch game is strong, and intentional.)

But Samya isn’t just creating. She’s rethinking the whole machine:
💸 Posters in bus stops? Or paying your crew a living wage? Easy choice.
🎥 Don’t fake relatability—actually speak the audience’s language.
🔥 Art should kick something. Set something on fire. Heal something.

She’s not chasing permission. She’s building her own lane—and bringing her community with her, one radically honest TikTok at a time.

If you’ve ever felt like your work had to fit a box, Samya’s here to remind you:
Be cringe. Be excellent. Be unapologetically you.

How inspiring! 

On the latest episode of Unwritten+, Irina Ignatiew talks to Piodor Gustafsson, the producer and creative force behind Black Spark and Rainy Days — and one of the key figures shaping the rise of Scandinavian storytelling on the global stage.

We talk about:
🧠 How The Bridge was literally pulled out of the bin and turned into an international hit
🌍 Why great stories start with local roots — and how to make them resonate across borders, just like ABBA
🧬 The mushroom that launches Stockholm into intergalactic crisis in We Come In Peace
🍳 And how quiet leadership (and a killer fish roll with tapenade and lime sauce) builds lasting creative (black) sparks

We also cover the differences between public and commercial broadcasting, the art of backing the right stories, and why Piodor believes we need more mystery — not less — in storytelling.

🎙️ This one’s full of insight for producers, creators, and anyone working across cultures.

What’s it like to lead global teams, speak five languages fluently, and navigate careers at companies like Sony Pictures, Huawei, BetaFilm, and Movistar?

In this episode of Unwritten+, I speak with Maria Valenzuela, now founder of Brisa Media, to talk about building a career across borders—both geographic and cultural.

We dig into what it really means to work internationally: the unspoken rules, the misalignments, and the magic that happens when you learn to "translate" not just language, but mindset. Maria shares what it was like stepping into a Chinese tech giant as a Western woman, why she feels “a little German” after over a decade there, and how storytelling styles from different cultures can be blended to create something fresh and powerful.

We also talk about streaming fatigue, the promise and risk of AI, and why women still tend to attribute success to luck and hard work—not potential.

🎧 Whether you work across cultures, lead international teams, or just love hearing what really happens behind the scenes—this conversation is full of insight, honesty, and sharp takeaways.

Seriencamp Conference Special!

In this episode, I talk to Andri Ómarsson, co-CEO of Glassriver and one of the driving forces behind Iceland’s global TV boom. What starts as a chat about icy road movies (Cold Fever, anyone?) turns into a personal revelation: I suddenly realize The Case—a show we invested in 11 years ago as a coproduction at Red Arrow—was actually the first-ever Icelandic international co-production. And I only found that out mid-interview.

We also talk about:
– how wine, cod, and good instincts lead to cross-cultural storytelling
– what it feels like to “hit the wall” in Cannes
– why Trump’s proposed 100% tariff on foreign-shot films would be a disaster for Iceland’s production scene

– …and what Michael Bay has to do with Andri’s approach to success—yes, really.

Plus: Andri’s wild past in extreme production services—from diving with a camera in freezing water to operating Iceland’s first helicopter camera mount.

A sharp, fun, human conversation about building stories—and companies—across borders.

Connect with Andri over LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andriomarsson/

Take a look at Glassrivers Website here:

https://www.glassriver.is

Unwritten+ brings you conversations with people working across cultures and borders in media and beyond. In this special series for Seriencamp Conference, Germanys leading series festival and conference, I talk to some of the speakers and guests of Seriencamp to explore their creative sparks and global perspectives. More to come soon!