Italian Global Series Fest Unveils 2025 Lineup
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- The Italian Global Series Festival will host international premieres including Channel 5's "Benidorm Is Murder," starring John Hannah as a retired detective drawn back into crime-solving in the Spanish resort, and Brazilian medical drama "Emergency 53," which won the Studio Babelsberg Production Excellence Award at the Berlinale Series Market earlier this year.
- "Emergency 53" follows doctors, nurses and drivers of a special mobile service unit navigating personal and professional crises, while "Benidorm Is Murder" — formerly titled "Death in Benidorm" — features Carolina Bécquer as a crime-drama-obsessed barmaid.
- Other international launches at the rapidly growing fest include James Marsh-directed espionage thriller "Secret Service" starring Gemma Arterton, Korean thriller "Speaking Dead" directed by Lee Jung-hyo, and Scott Free's "The Terror With Devil in Silver" — the first U.S. title competing at the festival, bringing Judith Light and CCH Pounder to Riccione.
- The Limited Series section opens with France's "Le Rouge et Le Noir," a new Stendhal adaptation starring Victor Belmondo alongside Camille Razat and Virginie Ledoyen, and the world bow of Channel 4's "Falling," the first romance from "Adolescence" writer Jack Thorne, directed by Peter Hoar.
- Additional Limited Series entries include Prague-set noir "The Widow Killer" and historical epic "Raza Brava," set among Santiago's violent ultras during Pinochet's dictatorship, while the comedy section features Belgium's "Boho," Germany's "The Flaws," BBC Northern Ireland's "Leonard and Hungry Paul" (starring Alex Lawther with Julia Roberts voicing a role), and Sally Wainwright-directed BritBox drama "Riot Women."
- The festival will mark Star Trek's 60th anniversary with a talk by Jeri Ryan on contemporary female role models in TV and a special preview screening of an episode from the upcoming fourth season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," plus an onstage conversation between producer David W. Zucker and director Nicholas Meyer.
- Jury leadership includes Oscar- and Emmy-nominated Nicholas Meyer presiding over limited series, veteran producer Marti Noxon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Grey's Anatomy") heading the drama jury, and "Emily in Paris" actor Bruno Gouery leading the comedy jury; the festival is directed by Marco Spagnoli and organized by Italy's APA with Cinecittà and the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Why it matters: The second-edition lineup signals the Italian Global Series Festival's ambition to compete with established TV markets like Canneseries and Series Mania, scoring the first-ever U.S. competition title ("The Terror With Devil in Silver"), a Berlinale award winner, and heavy hitters from Channel 4, Channel 5 and Scott Free. For sellers, the Rimini/Riccione event is now a serious launchpad for international buyers — eight countries represented across drama, limited series and comedy, with 60th-anniversary Star Trek programming adding fan-event appeal.
