Italian Global Series (IGS) returns for its second edition from July 3 to 10, 2026, unfolding across Rimini and Riccione with a broad slate of international drama, comedy and limited series titles. The festival, directed by Marco Spagnoli and organized by APA with Cinecittà and support from Italian cultural institutions, said it received more than 160 submissions from around the world before selecting 21 series from 15 countries for its International Competition.
This year’s lineup spans Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America, with awards in each category including Maximo prizes for Best Series, Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress and Best Creator/Director, plus a Special Jury Prize. The competition is divided into Drama, Comedy and Limited Series, reflecting the festival’s focus on current global television production and cross-border storytelling.
Among the high-profile guests expected in attendance are Sally Wainwright, creator of Happy Valley and Riot Women; Bertie Carvel, known for Doctor Foster; German-Turkish actor Serkan Çayoğlu; and Carlton Cuse, creator of Bates Motel. Cuse will also host a panel titled Lost in Fellini, while other industry sessions will look at the future of international co-productions and the changing landscape for global series development.
The jury will be led by Nicholas Meyer in the Limited Series section, Marti Noxon for Drama and Bruno Gouery for Comedy. Jury members include actors, producers, writers and creatives from across Europe and the United States, among them Amanda Righetti, Maurizio Lombardi, Tom Wlaschiha, Francesca Inaudi, Barbara Chichiarelli, Assaad Bouab, Victor Alli and others.
The drama competition includes world premieres and international debuts such as Benidorm Is Murder, a UK-Spain crime drama starring John Hannah; Emergency 53 from Brazil, a medical series set in the urgent chaos of Rio de Janeiro; and Italy’s I Casi di Teresa Battaglia – Figlia della Cenere, which continues the popular profiler’s story in a new season. Other notable entries include Secret Service, a political spy thriller from the UK starring Gemma Arterton; the South Korean thriller Speaking Dead; and the American horror title The Terror: Devil in Silver, marking the first U.S. series ever to compete at IGS.
The limited series section features titles ranging from the romantic drama Falling, written by Jack Thorne and starring Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu, to Laura’s Treatment, a French drama about domestic violence and femicide, and The Tribute, a Spanish family thriller led by Elsa Pataky and Luis Tosar.
Comedy titles include Boho from Belgium, the Czech prison comedy Cell Unit B, the workplace satire The Flaws from Germany, the Canadian series Happily Ever After, the Irish coming-of-age story Leonard and the Hungry Paul, and Riot Women, Sally Wainwright’s feminist rock drama about middle-aged women forming a punk band. The Italian competition also includes Una Piccola Formalità, a romantic comedy adaptation starring Pilar Fogliati.
With its mix of premieres, established names and socially charged storytelling, IGS 2026 positions itself as a showcase for the growing international reach of television drama and comedy.
