Italian Global Series 2026 Preview: STAR TREK, Big Anniversaries and a Growing Italian Showcase
The European roster of series festivals, which includes Series Mania in France, Seriencamp in Germany, Serial Killer in the Czech Republic and the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco, was joined last year by a new Italian event focused on small-screen storytelling, Italian Global Series.
The second edition of Italian Global Series (IGS, July 3–11) coincides with several anniversaries that will be celebrated during the event: the 50th anniversary of Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth, the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, and the 30th anniversary of the iconic Italian drama series Un posto al sole. The festival takes place in two cities, Rimini (July 3–6) and Riccione (July 7–10), before returning to Rimini on July 11 for the closing-night ceremony.
The International Competition is divided into three categories: Drama, Comedy and Limited Series. The Drama section opens with two world premieres: Benidorm Is Murder, a UK-Spanish production directed by Simon Delaney and starring John Hannah, and the adrenaline-fueled Brazilian medical series Emergency 53. Also receiving their international premieres are Secret Service, a political spy thriller directed by Oscar winner James Marsh and starring Gemma Arterton, and the Korean thriller Speaking Dead. Rounding out the Drama selection are the Swedish legal drama Burden of Justice and the return of the anthology series The Terror with Devil in Silver, produced by Scott Free and the first U.S. title in Competition at the festival.
The Comedy selection includes Belgium’s Boho, a generational portrait set in the multicultural neighborhood of Borgerhout, while Germany’s The Flaws turns workplace comedy into modern slapstick. Canada’s Happily Ever After challenges the myth of “forever” at age 25. From Ireland comes Leonard and Hungry Paul, starring Alex Lawther and featuring the voice of Julia Roberts, while from the U.K., Riot Women bears the signature of Sally Wainwright, who will attend the festival alongside star Tamsin Greig. The selection closes with the world premiere of Cell Block B, a prison comedy by Czech director and writer Jan Prušinovský.
The Limited Series section brings together intimate stories and contemporary epics, and opens with Le Rouge et le Noir, a new adaptation of Stendhal’s The Red and the Black, starring Victor Belmondo and featuring Camille Razat and Virginie Ledoyen. From the U.K. comes the debut screening of Falling, the first romance by Jack Thorne, directed by Peter Hoar. Among the international premieres are the German-Austrian The Widow Killer, a noir set in Prague in 1945, and Raza Brava, a tale of rebellion set in the world of Santiago’s ultras, beginning during the Pinochet dictatorship.
This year, the Competition features three Italian premieres, all produced by Rai Fiction: I casi di Teresa Battaglia – Figlia della cenere, directed by Kiko Rosati and starring Elena Sofia Ricci; One of Us, directed by Andrea Rebuzzi and starring Raoul Bova; and Una piccola formalità, directed by Davide Marengo and starring Pilar Fogliati.
Also returning for 2026 is the Italian Showcase, an event dedicated to Italian premieres for the upcoming season. This year’s edition will feature Viola come il mare – Season 3, Super Market, and the Rai Fiction titles La famiglia Panini – L’avventura delle figurine, Una finestra vista lago, Libera – Season 2, L’ombra and Vincenzo Malinconico, avvocato d’insuccesso – Season 3.
Italian Global Series will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek in a conversation with actress Jeri Ryan talking about contemporary female role models in television and in science fiction in particular and a conversation between producer David W. Zucker and Nicholas Meyer, director of several Star Trek films. The festival will also host a special preview screening of an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds from the fourth season which will debut on July 23 on Paramount+.
Check the line-up below.
International Competition
Comedy Section
BOHO
Belgium
THE FLAWS
Germany
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Canada
LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL
Ireland
RIOT WOMEN
UK
CELL BLOCK B
Czech Republic
UNA PICCOLA FORMALITÀ
Italy
Drama Section
BENIDORM IS MURDER
UK, Spain
EMERGENCY 53
Brazil
SPEAKING DEAD
South Korea
SECRET SERVICE
UK
BURDEN OF JUSTICE
Sweden
THE TERROR: DEVIL IN SILVER
USA
I CASI DI TERESA BATTAGLIA – FIGLIA DELLA CENERE
Italy
Limited Series Section
LE ROUGE ET LE NOIR
France
FALLING by Jack Thorne
UK
THE WIDOW KILLER
Germany, Austria
RAZA BRAVA
Chile
LAURA’S TREATMENT
France
THE TRIBUTE
Spain
ONE OF US
Italy
Italian Showcase
Rai Fiction
LA FAMIGLIA PANINI – L’AVVENTURA DELLE FIGURINE
L’OMBRA
LIBERA – SEASON 2
UNA FINESTRA VISTA LAGO
VINCENZO MALINCONICO, AVVOCATO D’INSUCCESSO – SEASON 3
Mediaset
VIOLA COME IL MARE – SEASON 3
ERICA – UNA DETECTIVE PER CASO
IL LABIRINTO DELLE FARFALLE
Prime Video
SUPER MARKET
Special Events
ROCCO SCHIAVONE – 10 YEARS
THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS – SEASON 4
UN POSTO AL SOLE – 30 YEARS
