– Dedicated to the best of Italian and international series, the event will run from 3 to 11 July between Rimini and Riccione, presenting 21 titles from 15 countries
Gemma Arterton in Secret Service
From 3 to 11 July, Rimini and Riccione will once again be hosting Italian Global Series, the festival dedicated to the international world of series, devised and organised by APA – the Italian Association of Audiovisual Producers in collaboration with Cinecittà and with the support of the Ministry of Culture. Having made its debut last year, this second edition of the gathering directed by Marco Spagnoli will see directors, producers, broadcasters and platforms from all over the world making the journey back to the Adriatic coast.
The International Competition’s official selection consists of 21 titles hailing from 15 countries, sub-divided into Drama, Comedy and Limited Series categories, and battling it out for the Maximo Awards. Stealing focus in the Drama section is the world premiere of Benidorm Is Murder, a co-production between the UK and Spain which is directed by Simon Delaney and which stars John Hannah, bringing crime drama to the beaches of the Costa Blanca. The UK will also offer up Secret Service, a political thriller by Oscar-winner James Marsh and starring Gemma Arterton, while the legal drama Burden of Justice will represent Sweden. Other interesting productions include the Brazilian medical drama Emergency 53, which is also screening in a world premiere, South Korean thriller Speaking Dead, and the latest chapter in the US horror anthology, The Terror: Devil in Silver.
The Limited Series section stands out for its strong European flavour. A new adaptation of Stendhal’s classic, Le Rouge et le Noir, directed by Gaël Morel and starring Victor Belmondo, Camille Razat and Virginie Ledoyen, will open the competition. The UK will present Falling, the first romance written by Jack Thorne, who directed Adolescence, while international premieres on the agenda include the historical Czech noir The Widow Killer, set in Prague in 1945, and the Chilean production Raza Brava. Rounding off the selection is the French work Laura’s Treatment, starring Valérie Bonneton, and the family drama The Tribute.
The Comedy section, meanwhile, will see Belgium offering up Boho, painting an Antwerp-based portrait of a multicultural generation; Germany presenting The Flaws, a multi-award-winning comedy produced by Razor Film; Ireland sharing Leonard and Hungry Paul, starring Alex Lawther and featuring Julia Roberts narrating voice; and British work Riot Women, a new series penned by Sally Wainwright, who’ll be attending the festival along with actress Tamsin Greig. Czech comedy Cell Block B will complete this selection.
Italy’s presence comes courtesy of three world premieres for works produced by Rai Fiction: in the Drama section, I casi di Teresa Battaglia – Figlia della cenere, directed by Kiko Rosati and starring Elena Sofia Ricci; among the Limited Series, One of Us, directed by Andrea Rebuzzi and starring Raoul Bova; and, in the Comedy competition, Una piccola formalità, directed by Davide Marengo and starring Pilar Fogliati.
Alongside the competition, Italian Global Series will also offer up an array of meetings with some of the most influential names in world series. Guests include the creator of Lost Carlton Cuse, who’ll be in conversation with Oscar-winner John Ridley, and Chief Creative Officer of Scott Free David W. Zucker, who’ll be leading a discussion on the future of audiovisual production in league with producer Steve Stark.
Special events in the line-up include a premiere of the new version of Little House on the Prairie, courtesy of Netflix. The festival will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek with the premiere of an episode from the upcoming fourth season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the 50th anniversary of Franco Zeffirelli’s television epic Jesus of Nazareth, and the 30th anniversary of the longest-running Italian soap opera, Un posto al sole.
Last but not least, new initiatives this year include the IGS Summer School, gathering together 60 students hailing from Italy’s leading film and media institutions, and Pitch Crime, which is a development platform for detective series projects.
(Translated from Italian)
