From July 3rd to 11th, Italian Global Series IGS will gather in Rimini and Riccione (Italy) a broad roster of talents, showrunners, producers and executives from the global audiovisual industry. The event is part of a structured framework of initiatives in the Italian audiovisual system that attracts global attention towards Italy.
Artistic Director Marco Spagnoli, in the presence of Italy’s Undersecretary for Culture Lucia Borgonzoni and APA Audiovisual Producers Association’s President Chiara Sbarigia, alongside the event’s godmother, Matilde Gioli, presented the event earlier this week in Cannes.
IGS Lineup and Juries
Three juries judge the International Competition finalists for the Drama, Comedy and Limited Series sections and assign the Maximo Awards for Best Series, Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress and Best Creator/Director, in addition to a Special Jury Prize.
Academy and Emmy-nominated American writer and director Nicholas Meyer serves as the President of the Limited Series Jury.
American producer Marti Noxon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men) serves as President of the Drama Series Jury.
French actor and director Bruno Gouery (Emily in Paris, The White Lotus) serves as President of the Comedy Series Jury.
Also part of the juries: international actors Amanda Righetti (Scarpetta), Maurizio Lombardi (Citadel: Diana, Ripley), Katia Fellin (Weiss and Morales), Tom Wlaschiha (Game of Thrones), Francesca Inaudi (The Hunter), Barbara Chichiarelli (Mussolini: Son of the Century) and Victor Alli (upcoming feature A Colt Is My Passport, Bridgerton); singer Kaze; Italian-Canadian executive Rudy Buttignol; composer Pivio; director Lisa Mulcahy (The Assassin, Years and Years) and producer Pier Giorgio Bellocchio (De Generazione).
The Drama section lineup includes:
Daughter of the Ashes: The Cases of Teresa Battaglia (World Premiere)
Benidorm Is Murder
Secret Service
The Limited Series section features:
One of Us
The Widow Killer (International Premiere)
Laura’s Treatments
El Homenaje / The Tribute
For the Comedy Series section, the first series to be announced is Una piccola formalità.
The Maximo Excellence Awards will also honor leading showrunners, creators, actors and producers.
IGS 2026 Program
American actress Jeri Ryan, well known for her iconic role in the Star Trek franchise in the late 90s/early 2000s and then again in the last chapter of the saga, will discuss contemporary female role models in television – and in science fiction in particular. Star Trek will celebrate its 60th anniversary later this year.
American showrunner Carlton Cuse will host a panel entitled “Lost in Fellini”, for which he will be joined by Oscar-winning writer and showrunner John Ridley (American Crime, 12 Years a Slave) for a dialogue between two masters of contemporary storytelling.
Additionally, Robert Powell will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth, considered a landmark in television history.
The program also features conversations between executive producer David W. Zucker (Alien: Earth, Dope Thief, Blade Runner 2099) and producer Steve Stark (The Handmaid’s Tale, Wednesday, Fargo).
Among the artists confirmed to attend this year’s festival and participate in the program are also British actors John Hannah (upcoming Benidorm is Murder, The Mummy, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Bertie Carvel (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and the upcoming Harry Potter series), and Stefania Spampinato (Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19).
The Italian Showcase at the event is the occasion to launch previews and presentations for the upcoming season, including previews of Amazon Prime Video and Rai Fiction’s Originals.
IGS is conceived and organized by APA (Audiovisual Producers Association) with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the municipalities of Riccione and Rimini, SIAE, AGIS and Enel. The event has the patronage of Rai Fiction and the Media Partnership of RAI, the Italian public broadcaster.
