Italy has chosen to jump on the series mania bandwagon, creating its own Italian Global Series Festival (IGSF), which opened its premier event on Saturday, June 21, in the beach-town resort of Rimini. Considering that the IGSF announcement was officially made on March 13, 2025, its realization in less than 100 days can be considered nothing short of miraculous… especially by Italian standards. Running it was well-seasoned festival organizer, film and TV critic Marco Spagnoli
The IGSF international festival is organized by APA Associazione Produttori Audiovisivi in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Culture and SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers).
The IGSF is reported to be a new incarnation of the Roma Fiction Festival, which ran annually for 10 years from 2007 to 2016. The first edition of IGSF is taking place from June 21 to June 28, 2025, in both Riccione (at the PalaRiccione and Multiplex Cine Palace) and in Rimini (at the Cinema Fulgor, Teatro Galli, and Corte degli Agostiniani, among other venues for both locations). The two cities are on Italy’s Adriatic coast in the Emilia Romagna region, 15 kilometers from each other and a three-hour drive east of Florence. Rimini is the birthplace of director Federico Fellini, and it is the city where the opening day was held, and featured a special presentation of the Mediaset-Publispei series, I Cesaroni: Il ritorno (The Cesaroni: The Return). But 68 of the 84 total events scattered over the eight days are held in Riccione. That’s where the closing bell and awards ceremony will be held. However, not having a reference point, the accreditation process was somewhat problematic, fully relying on QR codes. Anyone could apparently go to the IGSF website, select an event, and get the QR code for access.
The main objective of the festival is to promote and celebrate the production of Italian and international series, their artistic quality, and capacity to entertain. But the focus is purely for an Italian audience.
Italian and international series will be screened across four competitive sections: Drama, Comedy, Limited Series, and TV Movies. The programs will be judged by a jury of industry professionals, which includes director Bille August (The Count of Monte Cristo), director and screenwriter Cristina Comencini (Don’t Tell, When the Night), and director/writer Paolo Genovese (Perfect Strangers).
A special “Italian Fiction” award will be bestowed to a title of Italian origin distributed in Italy between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025. Plus, the National Union of Film Journalists will bestow a Special Nastro D’argento award to a major international co-production.
In addition to a series of keynotes and master classes with Italian and international talent, “first-looks” of new series in production will be presented by attending cast and creatives.
The first recipients of the festival’s special “Maximo Excellence Awards” — to be presented during Opening Night at the Teatro Galli in Rimini and Closing Night at the Arena del Mare in Riccione — have also been announced: British actress Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton), Elena Sofia Ricci (Godmother), actor and comedic director Carlo Verdone, music producer Giorgio Moroder, and actress Evangeline Lilly (Lost). Kevin Spacey will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Pictured above: Producer Verdiana Bixio (holding VideoAge) with part of the I Cesaroni cast. IGSF’s director Marco Spagnoli with Chiara Sbarigia, president of Cinecittá. The opening night presentation with the full cast of I Ciceroni: The Return.
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