Season 3 of AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City to Open the 65th Monte-Carlo TV Festival
Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2025 reveals star-packed lineup and exclusive premieres
The first two episodes of Season 3 of AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City will screen as the curtain-raiser at the 65th Monte-Carlo TV Festival. We previously reported that Kristin Scott Thomas and Kurt Russell will receive the Crystal Nymph Award in Monte-Carlo. The Festival outlined its 2026 plans at a presentation at the Médiathèque Caroline of Monaco, a new cultural venue in the Principality.
Spanish actress Ester Expósito will be honored with the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent, recognizing her rise since a breakout role in the Netflix series Elite. British actor Matthew Broome will also receive the honor for his fast-rising career, including roles in Prime Video's My Fault: London and Apple TV+'s The Buccaneers.
Rounding out the individuals receiving awards, French journalist and host Michel Drucker will be presented with the Honorary Nymph Award.
The juries overseeing the dramas and documentaries in the official selection have also been unveiled. The Fiction Jury will be chaired by British actress Lesley Manville, alongside Charlene McKenna, Frédérique Bel, Greg Daniels, Hojin Kwon, Kevin McKidd and Yasmin Finney. The Digital Jury will be chaired by Susanne Daniels, the former head of originals at YouTube, joined by another YouTube alum, Luke Hyams. The Feature Reports and News Jury will be chaired by American filmmaker Joshua Seftel, alongside Mouhssine Ennaimi, Hélène Mannarino, Margo Smit and Will Hanrahan.
The Festival has a public program combining screenings, premieres and talent events. Out-of-competition screenings this time include Les Derniers Jours de Charles Baudelaire, directed by Arielle Dombasle, as well as the documentary La Vie de Lise, which will also be presented out of competition.
Stars from The Bold and the Beautiful will be in town to meet fans, including Katherine Kelly Lang, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Thorsten Kaye, Tanner Novlan and Kimberlin Brown. The Young and the Restless will also be there, represented by Michelle Stafford and Michael Graziadei. Dick Wolf shows, including FBI, will also be feature, with Zeeko Zaki in town. Nick Gehlfuss, star of CBS drama CIA, will also attend.
Fans will be able to meet the cast of Un Si Grand Soleil, including Aurore Delplace, Chrystelle Labaude, Frédéric van den Driessche and Smadi Wolfman.
There is also an industry strand, entitled The Business Forum. Speakers this time include Sue Latimer, Aldis Hodge, Ben Watkins, Michael Hirst, Barry Buren and Rola Bauer. Organizers said this year's edition will highlight the major transformations redefining the industry, including the impact of AI and the rise of the creator economy.
"This 65th edition embodies both our commitment to our heritage and our determination to fully embrace the ongoing transformation of television," said Cécile Menoni, Executive Director of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. "More than ever, the Festival is a place for encounters, discoveries and recognition of the talents shaping the stories of tomorrow."
"The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is a unique point of convergence for talent, creators, broadcasters and audiences," added Laurent Puons, General Manager of Monaco Mediax, which organizes the Festival. "This 65th edition fully reflects our ambition: to support the transformation of the industry while celebrating excellence and creativity on a global scale."
The Festival runs June 12-16.
