Cádiz is preparing to become, once again, the epicenter of Spanish-language and international series. The South International Series Festival has presented the full program for its fourth edition in Madrid, which will be held from October 30 to November 4, solidifying its position as a key date in the Spanish audiovisual calendar as the year draws to a close.
The festival director, Carles Montiel, was in charge of detailing a program that combines fiction, documentary, industry activities, and recognition for prominent figures in the sector. The festival's relevance this year is reinforced by the arrival of names such as Isabel Coixet, Itziar Ituño, Susana Abaitua, Álvaro Morte, Ana Duato, and Paco Cabezas, among other professionals who will visit the official venues: the Gran Teatro Falla and the Teatro del Títere La Tía Norica.
Honorary awards and opening gala
South Series 2026 will present three honorary awards. The recipients will be British screenwriter and showrunner Ronan Bennett, creator of series such as Top Boy, and Spanish actors Ana Duato and Álvaro Morte.
The festival's opening will feature American Hostage, a psychological thriller set in the seventies and inspired by true events, starring Jon Hamm.
International and national fiction in the Official Section
Among the selected fiction titles, Patagonia stands out, a Spanish-Chilean co-production that Movistar Plus will premiere soon, starring Itziar Ituño. The Danish series Snake Killer, created and directed by Anders Olholm, will also be part of the program, as well as the British comedy Stepping Up, written by and starring Josh Pugh.
The festival will also include Still Breathing, set in a Norwegian hospital, and Alguien debería prohibir los domingos por la tarde, Isabel Coixet's second series production after Foodie Love. There will also be the Spanish series Infamia, arriving on HBO Max in November, and the second season of El Centro.
Blindspot Berlin, an international series inspired by true events focusing on the investigation prior to the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, is also added to the Official Section.
Non-fiction: from art to James Bond
The Official Non-Fiction Section will include The Oligarch and the Art Dealer, a documentary that reconstructs the alliance and subsequent confrontation between Swiss businessman Yves Bouvier and Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev.
Also screening will be Trade Secret: The Polar Bear Market, by Abraham Joffe, which focuses on the fight against the international polar bear trade. The life of the creator of James Bond is the subject of Ian Fleming and the Curse of James Bond, while Tuenti, a production by Doll House Studio with the participation of Movistar Plus and RTVE, reviews how a generation unknowingly built a shared emotional archive through the popular social network.
Mediaset España and Spanish true crime cases
In this edition, Mediaset España will present Los años sucios, ¿dónde está El Nani?, a docuseries written and directed by Susana López Raña that reconstructs the disappearance of Santiago Corella, known as El Nani, after his arrest in 1983. Produced by Unicorn Content in collaboration with the network, the four-part docuseries addresses a plot of police corruption and portrays Spain in the eighties.
The section will also include Mágico, a documentary co-produced by Womack Studios and Ecocinema about Salvadoran footballer Jorge Alberto González and his time with Cádiz CF. Out of competition, Ricardi. El culpable perfecto will be screened, focusing on the case of Rafael Ricardi, who was convicted of a rape in El Puerto de Santa María in 1995 despite maintaining his innocence.
South Section: the weight of Andalusia
The Teatro del Títere La Tía Norica will host the six entries of the South Section, dedicated to fiction and documentaries linked to Andalusia. Among them are La más grande, an original documentary by Movistar Plus about Rocío Jurado, and El cuco de cristal, an adaptation of Javier Castillo's bestseller directed by Laura Alvea and Juan Miguel del Castillo.
Also screening will be the Disney+ fiction series Olivia and 100 años de copla, directed by Manuel Paino, which traces the history of the genre with performances by Diana Navarro, Las Migas, Juan Valderrama, and Rosalinda Galán.
La foto del azulejo starts from a fire that occurred in Seville in July 2009, reconstructed through the testimonies of its protagonists. The section is completed by La Nena, the third installment of the La novia gitana saga.
Previews, special screenings, and closing
The Previews section will offer a first look at projects planned for 2026, such as Generación del 27, la poesía que cambió el mundo, and the documentary Todo tiene su fin, dedicated to Medina Azahara.
The new Special Screenings section includes Antoñito Molina: Un sueño. Del chiringuito al estadio, directed by Diego Corsini, as well as Perfectamente imperfectos, which focuses on families with children affected by rare diseases, and the comedy Millennial Mal, from Filmin.
The thematic channel VinTV will participate with the special activity Las series de nuestras vidas at the Gran Teatro Falla. The festival's closing on Wednesday, November 4, will feature the premiere of the second season of Física o Química: La nueva generación.
South Connect: trends and industry
The fourth edition will include three days of South Connect, the space for meetings, panels, and conversations aimed at industry professionals. Highlights include a dialogue between filmmakers Javier Ruiz Caldera and Paco Cabezas.
There will also be a panel on cultural phenomena arising from auteur projects, with the participation of Borja Soler, Clara Botas, and Roberto Martín, creators of La Ruta; Pol Rodríguez, head of Ravalear; and Irene Bohoyo, Carlos del Hoyo, and actress Alexandra Masangkay, linked to the series Cochinas.
Screenwriter Ronan Bennett will lead an In Conversation With session, where he will review his career in titles such as Top Boy, The Day of the Jackal, or Gangs of London.
International market and new trends
The industry agenda will address the Young Adult phenomenon and literary adaptations together with Wattpad Webtoon Studios, Sony Pictures Television International, and Espotlight Media, using the Culpables trilogy as a reference.
In the field of international co-productions, the festival will dedicate a focus to Denmark together with the Producers Association Denmark, delve into multi-jurisdictional financing with Portocabo and Lee & Thompson, and analyze alliances between Spain and Latin America with production companies Fábula and Alea Media.
Adaptation rights and intellectual property will also be debated with representatives from The Mediapro Studio, Scenic Rights, and Telefónica/Movistar Plus, as well as pre-release hype strategies with Washandwear and TBS, the application of artificial intelligence to project development, and the rise of vertical series for mobile formats, with the participation of Mediaset España, Onza, and GECA.
Andalusian talent will have its own space through initiatives such as South Boost, complemented by After Work and Café con meetings, organized together with entities such as the Anillos de Oro Awards, the Circle of Spanish Series Professionals, the Film Academy of Andalusia, ECAM, ANCINE, AMMA, the Andalucía Film Commission, and the Cádiz Film Office.
Organization and involved institutions
The South International Series Festival is produced by Womack Group and in this edition has the Provincial Council of Cádiz and the Cádiz City Council as official entities. Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group acts as Media Sponsor, while the Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz, Rims Mobility, and the Unicaja Foundation are sponsors, and Cultura Inquieta is a partner.
The 2026 edition is co-financed by the Feder Andalucía 2021-2027 Program and the Regional Government of Andalusia.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is South Series 2026 held?
The festival will take place in Cádiz from October 30 to November 4, 2026.
Who will receive the honorary awards this year?
The honorary awards will go to screenwriter Ronan Bennett, creator of Top Boy, and Spanish actors Ana Duato and Álvaro Morte.
Which series opens the festival?
The opening gala will feature the screening of American Hostage, starring Jon Hamm.
Which series closes the edition?
The festival closes with the premiere of the second season of Física o Química: La nueva generación on November 4.
Where do the festival screenings take place?
The main venues are the Gran Teatro Falla and the Teatro del Títere La Tía Norica, both in Cádiz.
What is South Connect?
It is the festival's industry program, which for three days brings together panels, meetings, and conversations about trends, production, and financing in the audiovisual sector.
Who organizes the South International Series Festival?
The festival is produced by Womack Group, with the support of the Provincial Council of Cádiz, the Cádiz City Council, and co-financing from the Feder Andalucía Program and the Regional Government of Andalusia.
