The Italian Global Series Festival (IGS) came to Cannes to celebrate the ambitious event that aims to bolster Italy’s status as an international TV player and announce highlights of its second edition to be held July 3-11 in the seaside cities of Rimini and Riccione.
During a Variety Global Conversations panel, IGS artistic director Marco Spagnoli announced that Oscar and Emmy-nominated writer and director Nicholas Meyer will serve as president of the limited series jury; veteran U.S. producer Marti Noxon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) will preside over the drama series jury; and French actor Bruno Gouery (“Emily in Paris) will head up the comedy series jury.
The panel also featured Chiara Sbarigia, president of Italy’s TV producers’ association APA, Italy’s Undersecretary for Culture Lucia Borgonzoni, and actress Matilde Gioli, who is the event’s “ambassador” and recently starred in Prime Video’s Tuscany-set original “No Place To Be Single” that dropped globally earlier this month.
“This festival is growing, as you will see from the announcement of our guests,” said Sbarigia. “It’s truly a high level festival that is making inroads into the industry and has become a rival with other events of this type.”
Sbarigia noted that earlier this year during the Berlinale Series Market, producers were approaching her and Spagnoli “offering their series and asking to attend,” which, she underlined, “is a great result, if you consider that we’ve only officially been around for two years.”
The IGS initiative, which aims to help drive the Italian television sector, intends to build on the foundations of the well respected RomaFictionFest, which ran between 2007-2016.
Borgonzoni, who oversees the country’s cinema department and is a staunch local film and TV industry advocate, underlined that all IGS screenings and masterclasses are open to the general audience free of charge. “I believe it’s essential that to continue creating opportunities in which the audience can truly enter the heart of the creative process,” she said.
“This festival celebrates great Italian and international excellences, but at the same time looks ahead [by] supporting new voices, new talents and new visions,” Borgonzoni added.
Spagnoli also announced that “Lost” co-showrunner Carlton Cuse is among this year’s Maximo Excellence career award recipients. Italian writer Francesco Piccolo (“My Brilliant Friend”), producer Roberto Sessa (“The Sea Beyond”) and actors Robert Powell (“Jesus of Nazareth”), Lino Banfi (“Un medico in famiglia”), Sabrina Ferilli (“The Great Beauty”) and Marco Giallini (“Rocco Schiavone”) will also be celebrated.
Other talents expected to attend IGS include British actors John Hannah (“The Mummy,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”); Bertie Carvel (“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” and the upcoming “Harry Potter” series); Italian actress Stefania Spampinato (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Station 19”) and “Star Trek” icon Jeri Ryan.
First IGS titles revealed by Spagnoli include the world premieres of the third season of crime series “Daughter of the Ashes: The Cases of Teresa Battaglia,” about a brilliant police profiler who is struggling with the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and the international premiere of James Marsh’s “Secret Service,” starring Gemma Arterton.
Entries in the fest’s limited series section will include coming of age-dramedy “One of Us,” a new Italian production directed for Italy’s RAI Fiction by Andrea Rebuzzi and starring Raoul Bova; the international bow of German event series “The Widow Killer”; French show “Laura’s Treatments,” directed by Akim Isker and Spanish psychological thriler “The Tribute,” by Sergio Canovas, starring Elsa Pataky and Manu Ríos. The first entry announced by Spagnoli in the comedy series strand is RAI’s “Una piccola formalità,” directed by Davide Marengo and starring Pilar Fogliati, Alessio Boni and Lorenzo Richelmy.
IGS is conceived and organized by APA with the support of Italy’s Ministry of Culture, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the municipalities of Riccione and Rimini, SIAE, AGIS, and Enel. The event is held under the patronage of RAI Fiction and in media partnership with state broadcaster RAI, which has recognized Italian Global Series as an event of national importance.