The town of Rimini is thought for its well-known son, Federico Fellini, the genius director behind the likes of La Dolce Vita and Nights of Cabiria, nevertheless it’s now house to the Italian World Sequence Pageant (IGSF) too. The primary version of the fest has been going down this week, bringing the likes of The Assassins, Sandokan and Bookish to the sunny seaside locale.
Given the rising variety of TV festivals all over the world, launching one thing new is at all times a problem, and we had been eager to listen to from Marco Spagnoli, the Creative Director of the IGSF about how this primary try has been going, forward of the occasion’s end this weekend. “I really feel like when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong had been on the moon,” was one evaluation of the whirlwind proceedings from the participating programmer and movie director.
Stars akin to Bookish creator Mark Gatiss, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh and Turkey’s Can Yaman – who drew over a thousand followers to the crimson carpet on Monday night time – sprinkled stardust on the occasion, which controversially awarded one in every of its Maximo Excellence Awards to Kevin Spacey, who was on the town as he continues his makes an attempt to revamp his picture and profession.
Anecdotally, there’s a lot assist for the goals of the IGSF and the numerous number of the reveals screening – which span from cozy crime to interval drama to difficult miniseries from throughout Europe. One observer famous the way it was refreshing to have an occasion that bypasses an trade ingredient and focuses purely on a free-to-attend screenings program. Masterclasses had been effectively attended for essentially the most half and there was an actual sense of event when Yaman took to the crimson carpet earlier than the Maximo Excellence Awards and for the screening of his present, Sandokan, the next night. Count on to listen to his title extra going forwards.
Can Yaman earlier than the ‘Sandokan’ screening on June 24
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Photographs for Italian World Sequence Pageant
We’ve additionally heard of disappointment concerning the numbers at sure screenings, which primarily seems to be because of scheduling clashes and confusion over venues. Whether or not having screenings in each Rimini and neighboring Riccione was the best concept is up for query. There have been additionally raised eyebrows and grumbles concerning the attendance of Kevin Spacey, who jetted over to choose up an award. An accompanying discuss between the Traditional Suspect star and Spagnoli yesterday noticed Spacey draw massive assist from the general public in attendance, however you solely should look under the road on the report we wrote from the interview to know the way deep emotions go about him inside the leisure world.
Yesterday, Deadline sat down with the ever-animated and interesting Spagnoli on the Palariccione constructing, the place lots of the screenings and talks have taken place, to get his frank tackle IGSF’s first try to safe its place on the worldwide TV calendar.
DEADLINE: We’re coming in direction of the top of the pageant, with days to go now. What’s your evaluation of yr one to this point?
MARCO SPAGNOLI: I really feel like when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong had been on the moon they usually needed to begin the engine to connect the Lunar Module to the capsule and get again to Earth. No person had ever pushed a button on the moon earlier than, after which the engine has began. What has been wonderful is the response of the viewers – Can Yaman attracted 1,100 individuals.
DEADLINE: Given what you needed to attain earlier than the pageant, how intently has the truth aligned along with your targets?
MS: It is a pageant about three issues: High quality, leisure and the ingredient of shock. You had been stunned by how many individuals turned up on the crimson carpet for a Turkish actor in Italy, and that is what I’m speaking about. The Pope is ecumenic and has to hug everyone – and we would like the IGSF to hug everyone as effectively. It’s necessary for me you’ll be able to see high-brow sequence and the most well-liked reveals in the identical place. I grew up studying comics and Greek philosophy, Star Wars and Fellini.
DEADLINE: So how did that translate to how you chose tasks for the pageant?
MS: We would have liked to have substance. I’m a person of content material and we’ve got to take dangers and plant the seeds. That is TV, and it’s totally different to movie, however nonetheless we have to talk about it. If a tree falls within the forest and no-one hears it, the tree doesn’t make a sound. We need to make sounds. If you choose returning reveals, you’ll appeal to extra numbers than if you choose one thing new. That’s true and the statistics show it, however, let’s face it, a pageant should allow you to uncover one thing.
DEADLINE: I’ve been asking individuals right here about their very own screenings and attending different screenings. My sense is that they really feel the usual is superb, however individuals have puzzled why so many had been scheduled in opposition to one another. Why was that?
MS: It’s as a result of we didn’t have a lot time and since we acquired so many entries. Once I took the job, I stated the jackpot could be 70 reveals [entered], as a result of I can then create a contest of round 24, possibly divide them into three eights, and I will likely be completely satisfied. We acquired 150. I had my 24, however then I noticed one other fantastic present, and we made it 25 after which I noticed one other, and one other. We had been submerged. I do know it’s possibly an excessive amount of. The opposite factor is we had been screening for the viewers and the press individually, so we may unfold the phrase. In any other case, many of those wonderful tales coming from distant received’t get any publicity and it will be a disgrace culturally. We would have liked the substance, and we would have liked to attempt.
Kevin Spacey and Marco Spagnoli converse on the stage in the course of the Italian World Sequence Pageant on June 25
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Photographs for Italian World Sequence Pageant
DEADLINE: How do you reply to those that assume it’s fallacious or distasteful to have awarded Kevin Spacey with a Maximo Excellence award?
MS: I need to make clear that this can be a retrospective recognition, based mostly solely on creative benefit. He has been declared harmless of all felony expenses introduced in opposition to him in two courts of legislation and we’re recognising his enduring contributions to TV, movie, and theatre as a part of IGSF’s in depth week lengthy programme alongside different winners. The TV pageant is acknowledging his groundbreaking efficiency in Home of Playing cards as one of many first Oscar-winning actors to steer a long-running sequence, which was a testomony to his creative brilliance and marked a pioneering TV second, setting a brand new customary in serialized storytelling. We made a daring alternative, however I imagine festivals must also be areas the place advanced points are addressed.
DEADLINE: There are an growing variety of Italian TV festivals, markets and conferences. Can the nation maintain all of them?
MS: Perhaps the following step is to federate all of the sequence festivals and divide the programming, so that you see some issues at some locations and different issues some place else. I don’t know the reply, however we have to watch issues.
DEADLINE: While you look forward to 2026, what are the areas you’ll look to enhance and what’s going to you be taking forwards from this yr?
MS: We have to go on a weight loss program, not by way of numbers, however to determine what we do and the place we display screen. Now we have to be extra correct and coordinated – the screenings and launches have run late. We additionally have to anticipate the surprises higher. We are going to polish the automotive. What won’t change is the core of the pageant: To deliver expertise and showcase reveals. You come right here and after three days may have a good suggestion of what Italian or European manufacturing seems to be like. What we are going to change is the very fact we’ve got to regulate the timings of the screenings and perceive higher tips on how to divide them. That is natural and we’re studying. Through the Apollo 11 mission, I’m certain they stated, ‘Subsequent time, we’ll make the chairs extra cozy and convey extra water.’
