Series Mania 2026 will open with the world premiere of The Testaments, the new drama produced for Disney+.
The series is showrun by Bruce Miller, best known for his work on The Handmaid’s Tale.
Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, The Testaments is set in the dystopian world of Gilead, years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale. The story follows the lives of three women whose paths intersect as the totalitarian regime begins to face internal fractures. Through their perspectives, the series explores power, resistance, complicity, and survival within an authoritarian system.
Festival leadership, Laurence Herszberg, Frédéric Lavigne, and Francesco Capurro , emphasized that the 2026 edition has been curated with a sharper editorial focus. In response to a contracting global market, marked by fewer commissions and shorter seasons, the lineup prioritizes stronger narrative precision and high-impact storytelling.
Political and social themes feature prominently across this year’s selection. Issues such as authoritarianism, the rise of fascism, identity, and evolving gender roles are central to many of the featured series. Organizers also highlighted the increasing importance of European co-productions and cross-border collaboration within the international television landscape.
The United Kingdom, Flemish Belgium, and Poland are strongly represented in the program, underscoring Europe’s growing role in premium series production.
Separate juries will oversee the International Competition and the International Panorama Competition, while student and international press juries will also present awards.
With a program shaped by political urgency and international cooperation, Series Mania 2026 is positioning itself as one of the festival’s most thematically resonant and strategically significant editions to date.
