Counting a MIFED release

The film market MIFED, now defunct, was a long-running annual industry expo, held in Milan, where films were screened for purchase (mostly by studios). As far as I can tell, that means a screening at MIFED should not count as a release on IMDb, as we don't count private and/or industry screenings, only screenings open to the public. I have noticed, however, that Heathers (1988) has a MIFED screening listed as its first release. Indeed, this listing is the only reason the film appears as 1988 rather than 1989, as the next-earliest release is the premier at Sundance in January 1989. Can anyone confirm whether a MIFED screening should or should not count as a release on IMDb?