Paving the Way to the Italian BAFTAs
During the second edition of the IGS Festival in Rimini and Riccione in 2026, I had the opportunity to speak with Chiara Sbarigia once again and gain insights into the industry’s most exciting developments.
Looking ahead to 2027: I’ve heard that something exciting and completely new is on the horizon.
We are building something new that we will roll out in 2027; right now, I don’t even know which Italian city it will call home. It will be an award of a far more national character, somewhat like the British BAFTAs or the French Césars, the likes of which doesn’t yet exist in Italy. Of course, the Venice Film Festival showcases a few series out of competition, and the Rome Film Fest also embraces episodic content, but those are merely adjunct pieces to something much bigger: film. We want serial storytelling to be recognized for its own inherent value, for the quality, and for the hard work being poured into this genre across all nations.
What were the biggest challenges along the way?
The first major hurdle in organizing a festival of this scale is securing funding. It is essential to convince someone from the public sector to back you. We had taken a seven-year hiatus since our last festival in Rome; back then, we probably started a bit too early. Now, we have found wonderful support in the Emilia-Romagna region and, above all, within the Ministry of Culture.
What has changed organizationally since the first IGS Festival last year?
Last year, we launched with zero local knowledge since almost all of us come from Rome. That really helped us understand that the schedule needs to be split in two: mornings dedicated to journalists working with talent, interviews, and juries; and later in the evening, when it cools down and people return from the beach. There are exceptions for very popular figures. But it was a real internal debate, because I am the one who insists that everything must be free and accessible to the public. We have to deliver quality, but also gradually introduce people to more challenging niche topics.
How are European and U.S. productions balanced?
As a producers’ association, our priority is the development of European co-productions, which are significantly more viable than projects between Italy and the U.S. because we share a cultural proximity that allows for a much closer working relationship. This year, we have a French jury president as well as British, Spanish, and German members. Even so, American series remain extremely important to us because the North American industry has a much older history deeply rooted in this format. In Italy, series were treated as long “B-movies” for decades, and it took thirty years of association work to prove that serial storytelling holds the exact same value as a cinematic blockbuster.
High honor for the industry: Chiara Sbarigia proudly accepts the President’s medal for the Italian Global Series, an official recognition for outstanding cultural achievements in film and TV.
Speaking of supporting young talent: You also encounter many students at the festival. What is the future of the “summer school” project?
Yes, we called the project a “summer school,” even though it isn’t a traditional school. We’ve brought together various universities and institutions with which we have partnerships—starting with the University of Bologna, Europe’s oldest university, as well as the Centro Sperimentale and the Visconti School in Milan—to select young talent. They get completely immersed in the industry, gain access to extraordinary figures, and this year, for the first time, they are awarding a prize called the Maximinus. When I was at Cinecittà, I had allocated funds for training, and I was convinced that these needed to be short workshops: at some point, you have to give young people access to the actual reality of the industry, warts and all.
What was it like meeting genre stars like Titus Welliver?
It was fantastic. He was only here for two days because he had to head back to New York for work, and I told him, “Next year you’re coming back as a jury member, that’s how I’m going to force you to stay for a week or ten days, and I’ll take you to see all the surrounding villages.” He agreed. We had pictured him completely differently: on set, we’re used to seeing him as very serious, the classic grumpy detective; instead, he’s incredibly personable, does impressions, has an impressive knowledge of film, and had us laughing out loud.
In Conversation with Chiara Sbarigia: An Exclusive Look at the Future of the European Series Boom at the 2026 IGS Festival.
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