Italian Contemporary Film Festival launches its 2017 program
with a special focus on Italian-Canadians

May 11,2017

Box office superstar Christian De Sica, son of iconic director and actor Vittorio De Sica, as well as
internationally awarded screen actors Paola Cortellesi, Alan Barillaro, Giancarlo Giannini and
Franco Nero to be special guests of the ICFF 2017, which expands across six Canadian cities, with
the new addition of Vancouver.

TORONTO, May 8, 2017 – The Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF), presented by IC Savings, announced its lineup today at The Ritz-Carlton, in Toronto: 180 screenings, including features, shorts and documentaries that are world and international premieres.

This is the sixth edition of a Festival that celebrates the best in contemporary Italian cinema from around the world, and will take place June 8th-16th, 2017 in Toronto, Vaughan, Hamilton, Montreal, Québec City and Vancouver.

ICFF will bring together film enthusiasts and some of the most influential and prolific directors, actors and industry leaders, including Academy Award®-winning director Alan Barillaro and producer Andrea Iervolino, who will participate in a special tribute to celebrate the contribution of Italian-Canadians to the film industry. From Bello to Beautiful: The Art and Impact of Italian-Canadian Cinema will be an exciting 7-day free-admission screening series of a multitude of inspirational films in honour of  Canada and Ontario’s 150th Birthday.

From Bello to Beautiful: The Art and Impact of Italian-Canadian Cinema, opens its celebration with Noelle’s Journey, a documentary by Peter Gentile about two immigrants who left southern Italy for a new life in Canada. The Future Ways of Living – a documentary by Marcello Ferrara and George Brown University, as well as Il Fiume ha sempre ragione/The River Always Knows, directed by Silvio Soldini, will also premiere at the festival. The screening will feature the publisher Alberto Casiraghi and will include a poetry reading by Rob Marra e Lucio Iacobelli.

Italian box office celebrity Christian De Sica, son of iconic director Vittorio De Sica, will be receiving the ICFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award, whose previous recipients include screen legends such as Al Pacino, Academy Award® Winner Roberto Benigni and film star Claudia Cardinale. De Sica will also be  presenting his latest films, Poveri ma ricchi/Poor but Rich and Fraulein/Una fiaba d’inverno/A Winter Tale.

“This year’s Festival lineup focuses on three aspects of Italian cinema: creating a bridge between the classics due to the phenomenal presence of film royalty Christian De Sica, welcoming Paola Cortellesi, who demonstrates the importance of women in film as they headline both the opening and closing screenings, as well as the celebration of Canada’s 150th by showcasing the incredible contribution of Italian-Canadians to cinema,” said Cristiano de  lorentiis, ICFF Artistic Director.

“We believe that ICFF – through the years – has strongly built its reputation within the Canadian audience and this edition is going to represent another great opportunity for the film industry to showcase its best,” said Paul Golini, President of ICFF’s Board of Directors. “ICFF 2017 will definitely shine thanks to its wide range of features, documentaries and shorts selection along with the presence of several protagonists of the film industry here in Canada.”

“The Festival has a very positive impact on Canada’s diverse economy” said Maurizio Magnifico, ICFF Managing Director. “With thousands of ticket sales, as well as the fundamental support of our sponsors, our festival not only aids the economy while supporting local businesses, but also draws international media coverage, visiting guests, and attracts major attention from the film industry.”

ICFF will also pay tribute to De Sica’s father, Vittorio De Sica, a four-time Academy Award® winning director with the screening of one of his most brilliant comedies, Matrimonio all’italiana/Marriage Italian style. In conversation with Christian De Sica will play a pivotal role in the sixth edition of the ICFF, when the star will openly discuss his work with the audience, as well as the prolific productions of his father Vittorio.

ICFF’s opening film is Qualcosa di nuovo/Something New, a vibrant comedy directed by Cristina Comencini, starring Paola Cortellesi and Micaela Ramazzotti. Special guest Paola Cortellesi is an eclectic Italian actress, singer, voice actress and presenter, who has starred in over 20 movies as well as a number of theatrical shows, television and radio shows.

Special guests of the ICFF 2017 will also include Giancarlo Giannini, an Oscar® nominated Italian actor, director and multilingual voice actor who’s created an international reputation for his leading roles in Italian films as well as for his mastery of a variety of languages and dialects.

Another notable guest of ICFF 2017 will be actor Franco Nero, who was discovered by director John Huston and became famous for his unforgettable role as the lonely gunfighter in Django by Sergio Corbucci and his acting performance alongside Bruce Willis, in Die Hard 2. Giannini and Nero star in The Neighborhood, the latest feature by prolific Italian-Canadian artist and filmmaker Frank D’Angelo and a world premiere at ICFF 2017. The Neighborhood features Hollywood stars such as Danny Aiello, who will attend the screening with the entire cast of D’Angelo’s movie.

Director Ruth Borgobello will come directly from Australia to present to Canadian audiences her movie The Space Between, the first ever Italian-Australian film co-production. There will also be a world premiere of Jackie and the Ladies: 65 Years of The Ladies’Auxiliary of the CIBPA by Diana Di Mauro.

The nine-day festival will conclude with the feature film La pazza gioia/Crazy Love, directed by Paolo Virzì, starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti. The movie has recently won the David di Donatello for Best Picture, the most prestigious Italian cinematic award – the equivalent of an Italian
Oscar.

Parties

ICFF is excited to be submersed into planning our extravagant Opening Party and Closing Gala with what has become a festival staple. These glamorous and star-studded events enable ICFF to build on and expand this cherished reputation. This year, the Opening Party will be held at QRC West and the Closing Party will be held at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, a soirée dedicated to walking the Red Carpet and brushing shoulders with celebrity guests.

ICFF Junior

In strong collaboration with the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the York Region District School Board, the ICFF invites thousands of students from over 25 schools to see unique, challenging and educational local and foreign-language films which would otherwise not be available to young students. Starting this year, the ICFF Junior is expanding to include beyond Italian, other languages such as Spanish, French, Portuguese and Tagalog in its film selection. ICFF Junior runs from May 8-13, 2017 at the prestigious TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Cineplex Cinemas in Vaughan, Cineplex Cinemas Yorkdale and SilverCity Richmond Hill.

About ICFF

     The ICFF promotes discovery, appreciation, and pride in the diverse and ever-evolving Italian heritage in Canada. Inaugurated as a grassroots non-profit film festival in 2012,  the ICFF has grown to be the largest Italian film festival outside of Italy.  Since its first edition,  the ICFF has screened a collection of hundreds of feature films, documentaries and shorts from more than 30 countries. Every year it attracts an audience of more than 30 thousand attendees in Toronto, Vaughan, Hamilton, Montreal, Québec City and Vancouver, to screenings, workshops, industry events and galas. The ICFF is proudly Canadian and showcases international films defying conventional perspectives on complex and challenging issues facing both the Italian and global communities.

About the 2017 Festival Sponsors

As Presenting Sponsor of the ICFF, IC Savings is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking, bringing business and energy to Canada and offering festival patrons the opportunity to enjoy the best in storytelling through film.

ICFF is generously supported by The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, Empire Communities, Cityzen, Two Sisters Vineyard, and the official airline sponsor Delta Air Lines. It is also supported by leading partners, TIFF and Cineplex, and major partners Cinémathèque québécoise, Casa d’Italia-UNITAS, Cinéma Cartier, the City of Vaughan, the Italian Embassy, the Consulates General of Italy in Toronto and Montreal, the Italian Cultural Institutes in Toronto and Montreal, the Italian Trade Commission, the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, Rio Theatre and L’Altra Italia.

Media Partners: CTV, RAI Italia, CHIN Radio
Media Supporters: Panorama, ItalNews, and MyEtvMedia, Lo Specchio, Corriere Canadese
ICFF partners are: Ryerson University, Centro Scuola e Cultura, TCDSB, YRDSB, TFCA, ICCO, and CIBPA.

Tickets for ICFF 2017 Festival:
Single ticket and discounted ticket package sales begin on Monday, May 8 Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone, and at the Cinema Outlets.

Media contacts:
Giorgio Mitolo – ICFF Media Relations – gmitolo@icff.ca
Mia Foley – ICFF Communications – mfoley@icff.ca

 

2017 FILM LINE-UP

 

Amarcord
Federico Fellini, Italy/France, 1973, 123’
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Language: Italian with English subtitles
A series of comedic and nostalgic vignettes set in a 1930s Italian coastal town.                                                         Monday June 12, 7 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

 

Andrea Doria/Andrea Doria: Are the Passengers Saved?
Canadian premiere
Luca Guardabascio. USA/Italy, 2016, 80’
Genre: Drama, Documentary

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Pierette, a survivor of the Andrea Doria-Stockholm collision, uncovers a cold case that vindicated the Captain of the Italian luxury liner. Sixty years after the crash, she works to uncover the truth surrounding that tragic day.
Tuesday June 13, 6 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Fiore
Canadian premiere
Claudio Giovannesi, Italy, 2016, 105’
Genre: Drama

Language: Italian with English subtitles
As Daphne and Josh steal hidden glances from one cell to another, a forbidden love begins to blossom inside a youth detention centre in this story of a teenager’s desire for love and the power of an emotion that breaks every law.
Saturday June 10, 6:15 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Monday June 12, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC
Tuesday June 12, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC

 

Fräulein-Una Fiaba d’Inverno/Fräulein-A Winter Tale
North American premiere
Caterina Carone, Italy, 2016, 90’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
After the most potent solar storm on record hits Earth, what was supposed to be a fleeting one night meeting will soon turn into an unexpected coexistence full of surprises as a lonely spinster and a mysterious tourist help each other overcome their fears.
Saturday June 10, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC
Monday June 12, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Tuesday June 12, 5 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Wednesday June 14, 6:15 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Thursday June 15, 9:30 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Future Ways of Living
North American premiere
Marcello Ferrara, Canada, 2017, 78’
Genre: Documentary

Language: English
At the World Expo in Milan, a group of global thought leaders, designers, and students come together to collaboratively critique and re-design our societal systems, painting a vision of a future that brings Marshall McLuhan’s global village one step closer to being realized.
Sunday June 11, 2 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Ieri, Oggi, Domani/Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Vittorio De Sica, Italy, 1964, 119’
Genre: Comedy, Romance

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Stories about three different women and the men they attract
Saturday June 10, 1:30 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

 

Il Fiume ha Sempre Ragione/The River is Always Right
North American premiere
Silvio Soldini, Italy/Switzerland, 2016, 72’
Genre: Documentary

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Director Silvio Soldini gives us a realistic and poetical portrait of two true bibliophile artists, who choose one of the oldest professions in the world and find great success and approval.
Sunday June 11, 4 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Il Padre d’Italia/There is a Light
International premiere
Fabio Mollo, Italy, 2017, 93’
Genre: Drama, Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Paolo, a skeptic sales clerk happens upon Mia, a back-up singer who lives haphazardly. Together, they travel across Italy to visit Mia’s home, discovering their irrepressible desire to live.
Monday June 12, 8:45 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Il Sogno Di Francesco/Brotherhood: A Life with Saint Francis
North American premiere
Renaud Fély, Arnaud Louvet, France/Italy/Belgium, 2016, 90’
Genre: Drama

Language: Italian with English subtitles
In the year 1209 in Italy, Francis of Assisi seeks purity and innocence among the poor. Untrusted by the Church and Pope Innocent III, the intrusion of high authority will create diversions within the order as they try to distract Francis from his goal.
Saturday June 10, 1:30 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Sunday June 11, 6 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Wednesday June 14, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC

 

In Guerra per Amore/At War for Love
North American premiere
Pierfrancesco Diliberto, Italy, 2016, 99’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
A complicated love affair in 1943 New York leads Arturo, a Sicilian emigrant, to enroll in the US Army in order to start a journey to Italy and take part in an event that is going to change the history of Sicily, Italy, and the Mafia.
Saturday June 10, 9:30 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Sunday June 11, 7 p.m.
Venue: Casa d’Italia, 505 Jean Talon St E, Montréal, QC
Sunday June 11, 8:15 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Friday June 16, 6:30 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

 

Indivisibli/Indivisible
Edoardo De Angelis, Italy, 2016, 104’
Genre: Drama

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Daisy and Viola are Siamese twins who have been blessed with beautiful voices. Their father isolates them from the rest of the world in order to exploit them for the income he receives from their performances. When one of them falls in love for the first time, their lives change as they discover that they can be separated.
Thursday June 8, 7 p.m.
Venue: HWT Centre, 47 Discovery St, Hamilton, ON
Friday June 9, 6 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Saturday June 10, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC
Sunday June 11, 5 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Monday June 12, 6:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Jackie and the Ladies: 65 Years of The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the CIBPA
World premiere
Diana Di Mauro, Canada, 2017, 37’
Genre: Documentary

Language: English
This film documents the personal story of The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the CIBPA, the historic, charitable organization created to assist Italian immigrants arriving in Toronto in the 1950’s.
Thursday June 15, 6:45 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Jonas Kaufmann: My Italy
North American premiere
Jonas Kaufmann, Italy/Germany, 2017, 85’
Genre: Musical Documentary

Language: Italian with English subtitles
This film documents Jonas Kaufmann’s special affinity with Italy’s language, culture, music, and way of life. Jonas presents his personal tribute to a culture where the influence and beauty of Opera goes beyond the walls of the theatre.
Tuesday June 13, 6 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

L’ora Legale/It’s the Law
Canadian premiere
Salvatore Ficarra, Valentino Picone, Italy, 2017, ’92

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Gaetano Patenè has long held his role as mayor of the small Sicilian village of Pietremmare and he will use every trick in the book to make sure he wins the next election and secures his role. However, Pierpaolo Natoli, a 50-year old professor, decides to run against him to give his 18 year-old daughter an alternative to the town’s tainted leader.
Saturday June 10, 5 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Saturday June 10, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Sunday June 11, 9:30 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Sunday June 11, 5 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC
Tuesday June 15, 7 p.m.
Venue: Casa d’Italia, 505 Jean Talon St E, Montréal, QC

 

L’uccello Dalle Piume di Cristallo/The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Dario Argento, Italy/West Germany, 1970, 84’
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Language: Italian with English subtitles
A witness of an attack, a writer becomes stalked by a serial killer.
Friday June 9, 11:30 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

 

La Pazza Gioia/Crazy Love
Paolo Virzì, Italy, 2016, 118’
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Beatrice and Donatella are both patients of a mental institution and subject to custodial measures. Their unpredictable friendship and ultimate escape from their constrained treatment leads the girls on a hilarious and moving adventure in the world of healthy people.
Friday June 9, 5 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Sunday June 11, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC
Monday June 12, 7 p.m.
Venue: Casa d’Italia, 505 Jean Talon St E, Montréal, QC
Wednesday June 14, 7 p.m.
Venue: HWT Centre, 47 Discovery St, Hamilton, ON
Friday June 16, 7 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Le Confessioni/The Confessions
Roberto Andò, Italy/France, 2016, 100’
Genre: Drama

Language: Italian and English with French subtitles
A meeting of the world’s richest finance ministers and three unique outsiders – a rock star, a children’s book writer, and a monk Salus – is suspended following a tragic event. A battle between the ministers and the monk ensues, as they believe Salus revealed top-secret information during a confession.
Saturday June 10, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC

 

Mamma o Papà?/Mum or Dad?
International premiere
Riccardo Milani, Italy, 2017, 98’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
After 15 years of marriage, Valeria and Nicola decide to divorce. Just as they are about to tell their children, they both receive the career opportunity of a lifetime to work and live abroad. Valeria is ready to give up this chance, but when she finds out that Nicola cheated on her, she accepts the new job.
Friday June 9, 8 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Tuesday June 13, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC

 

Matrimonio All’Italiana/Marriage Italian Style
Vittorio De Sica, Italy, 1964, 102’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
A World War II era story of a cynical, successful businessman named Domenico who frequently visits Filumena, a country girl in a Neapolitan brothel. This on-off relationship continues while she works as a prostitute until Domenico eventually takes Filumena to his house as a semi-mistress under the pretense that she will take care of his ailing, senile mother.
Wednesday June 14, 9:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Noelle’s Journey
World premiere
Peter Gentile, Canada, 2017, ‘42
Genre: Documentary

Language: English
Noelle Elia tells the story of Franco Grosso and Mariano Elia, two immigrants who left southern Italy for a new life in Canada. The two men have never met, but have Noelle in common and through her memories and a voyage back to Italy, Noelle creates a portrait of Canada’s changing face of diversity.
Saturday June 10, 7 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Non c’è più Religione/Messy Christmas
International premiere
Luca Miniero, Italy, 2016, 90’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
On the small Mediterranean island Porto Buio, the yearly nativity scene is in jeopardy when the boy who usually plays Jesus has grown too old for the role. The newly elected mayor, keen on keeping the tradition alive, wants to ask the island’s Tunisian community if he can “borrow” one their children despite the conflicts between the two ethnicities.
Sunday June 11, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Tuesday June 13, 6:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Wednesday June 14, 4 p.m.
Venue: Casa d’Italia, 505 Jean Talon St E, Montréal, QC

 

Non è un Paese Per Giovani/No Country for the Young
Canadian premiere
Giovanni Veronesi, Italy/Spain, 2017, 105’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Sandro and Luciano are two of the 500,000 young emigrants fleeing Italy to seek a new fortune overseas. Trying to now start up a new business in Cuba, they meet a beautiful, strong, sentimental Italian woman, Nora, who is going to change their lives.
Thursday June 15, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso/Cinema Paradiso
Giuseppe Tornatore, Italy, 1988, 155’
Genre: Drama

Italian with English subtitles
A filmmaker recalls his childhood when he fell in love with the movies at his village theatre, and formed a deep friendship with the theatre’s projectionist.
Tuesday June 12, 6:30 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

 

Orecchie/Ears
Canadian premiere
Alessandro Aronadio, Italy, 2016, 90’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
A man wakes up one morning with an annoying ringing in his ears. He finds a note on the fridge that says “your friend Luigi has died. P.S. I took the car.” The problem is that he does not remember who Luigi is. This is the beginning of his tragicomic day, during which he will be plunged into the folly of the world.
Friday June 9, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Monday June 12, 6:15 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Onda su Onda/Wave after Wave
Rocco Papaleo, Italy, 2016, 98’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
The destinies of an introverted chef and a vivacious singer become interlaced during a concert at Montevideo, where unexpected events force them to become friends, uniting them in the desire they both share to begin on a new path.
Tuesday June 13, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Piuma
Canadian premiere
Roan Johnson, Italy, 2016, 98’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
An unexpected teenage pregnancy turns the lives of Ferro and Cate upside down. They still have to study for finals, plan their summer trip, and focus on their future. They are not the only two people whose lives have been affected by this pregnancy, as their parents will have a grandson and responsibilities 15 years earlier than anticipated.
Sunday June 11, 6 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Monday June 12, 5 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Monday June 12, 9:30 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Wednesday June 14, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC

 

Poveri ma Ricchi/Poor but Rich
International premiere
Fausto Brizzi, Italy, 2016, 90’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
After a poor family living in a small village in Lazio wins 100 million Euro at the lottery, their lives change. They had hoped to keep it a secret but after the head of the family lets it out, they are forced to flee to Milan before their so-called friends can catch them.
Wednesday June 14, 8:45 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Qualcosa di Nuovo/Something New
Canadian premiere
Cristina Comencini, Italy, 2016, 93’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
After the perfect man falls into Maria’s bed – a man who is only 19 – she and her friend Lucia concoct a new, fake version of their lives. Because of the boy’s simple outlook on things, he’s able to transform their habitual ways and revolutionize every desire and certainty they previously held.
Thursday June 8, 7 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Friday June 9, 6:15 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Tuesday June 13, 6:30 p.m.
Venue: Casa d’Italia, 505 Jean Talon St E, Montréal, QC

 

Questione di Karma / A Matter of Karma
North American premiere
Edorardo Falcone, Italy, 2017, 90’
Genre: Comedy

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Giacomo is the heir to an industrial dynasty, but is more interested in his multiple passions. An encounter with a French eccentric will change Giacomo’s life after he claims that he has identified the reincarnation of Giacomo’s deceased father. The man is Mario, a quiet materialist only interested in money, and full of debts. This seemingly absurd encounter will change both their lives.
Wednesday June 14, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Friday June 16, 9:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

Sette Giorni/Seven Days
North American premiere
Rolando Colla, Italy/Switzerland, 2016, 96’
Genre: Drama

Language: Italian and French with English subtitles
Ivan’s brother and Chiara’s best friend are to be married and the two wish to help them. The bride and groom are former drug addicts and there are several problems to be fixed since the groom’s intended honeymoon destination is in shambles. But Ivan and Chiara are determined to make it happen, despite the difficulties.
Friday June 9, 9 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Sunday June 11, 6:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Wednesday June 14, 4 p.m.
Venue: Casa d’Italia, 505 Jean Talon St E, Montréal, QC

 

Suspiria
Dario Argento, Italy, 1977, 88’
Genre: Horror

Language: Italian with English subtitles
A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders.
Thursday June 8, 9:30 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

 

The Mystery of San Nicandro / Il Mistero di San Nicandro
Roger Pyke, Canada, 2012, 67’
Genre: Documentary

Language: English
A testament to the inexorable force of the past, how it shapes our identity and sense of belonging, and how the echo of our DNA reaches across centuries to claim us. This eye-opening film takes us on a journey of identity search, revealing some of the hidden Jewish facts of Italy – both present and ancient.
Thursday May 11, 7:00 p.m.
Baycrest Red carpet Stage and Screen Series

 

The Neighborhood
World premiere
Frank D’Angelo, Canada, 2017, TIME
Genre: Crime Drama

Language: English
A small group of hoodlums in Brooklyn find themselves caught up in a war with an old-school mafia king pin and their lives soon become hell on earth.
Thursday June 15, 6:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

 

The Space Between
North American premiere
Ruth Borgobello, Italy/Australia, 2016, ’98
Genre: Drama

Language: English-Italian
Together, an aspiring Italian chef and an Australian dream-chaser discover love as they try to find their place in the world. These two very different people find themselves on a journey that will change their lives forever.
Wednesday June 14, 6:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Thursday June 15, 8 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON

 

Veloce Come il Vento/Italian Race
Director, Italy, 2016, ‘119
Genre: Action, Drama

Language: Italian with English subtitles
The De Martino family has been putting together racing cars for generations. After Giulia takes over from her father with the help of her 40-year old brother – a former driver – they will have to return to the track to win while escaping their demons and learning what it means – and how hard it is – to be a family.
Friday June 9, 6:45 p.m.
Venue: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Saturday June 10, 8:15 p.m.
Venue: Cineplex Cinemas Vaughan, 3555 Highway 7 West, Vaughan, ON
Sunday June 11, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Wednesday June 14, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 Boul de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC
Wednesday June 14, 7 p.m.
Venue: Cinema Cartier, 1019 Avenue Cartier, Ville de Québec, QC
Friday June 16, 7 p.m.
Venue: Casa d’Italia, 505 Jean Talon St E, Montréal, QC
Friday June 16, 9 p.m.
Venue: Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC

 

2017 SHORTS LINE-UP

 

Ammanc’ / Without
Canadian premiere
Paola Sinisgalli, Italy, 2015, 19’10”

Language: Italian with English subtitles
“Without” is a story about solitude and the way it is enhanced by the geographic and psychological isolation of small, marginalized realities. At the same time, these realities are a witness to the strong human bonds created by the inevitable proximity that connects people. The scene opens in the heart of Lucania (Basilicata), Southern Italy, in the stillness of a heat-drenched village. The focus turns to a solitary old man afflicted by alcoholism whose life seems headed towards decline.

 

A time to tell
World premiere
Patrick Jerome, USA, 2017, 20’

Language: English
Immigrant Polina Jackson loves her husband Richard Jackson, a successful business man. Polina’s former life in the Czech Republic catches up with her, and she must make a difficult decision. Will Richard give her the support she needs?

 

Batter Judgment
World premiere
Gaetano Giordano, Canada, 2016, 6’25”

Language: English with Italian subtitles
A modern fairy tale, with horror elements, tells the story of young Julia, who is crazy for pancakes. Her best friend, Danny, tells here an urban legend about a woman who eats kids when she get mad. But it’s just a fairy tale that Julia’s mother uses to scare her when the young girl is eating too many treats.

 

 

Checkmate
North American premiere
Jason Bradbury, UK, 2016, 10’33”

Language: English
Trapped in an enchanted chess game, two rival players, Prosperity and Penury, cannot but repeat themselves in an allegorical tale on the unattainability of perfection.

 

Chiaroscuro
Michael Pugliese, Canada, 2017, 10’

Language: English
During the lowest point in her life, a woman finds herself on a stationary bus in the middle of a supernatural war – good vs evil, as she’s influenced in making a life changing decision.

 

Chi fa Otello? / Who plays Othello?
North American premiere
David Fratini, Italy, 2014, 4’32”

Language: Italian with English and French subtitles
A crew of Italian black men is preparing to stage Shakespeare’s Othello, but when it comes the time to assign the main part, the choice is far from easy.

 

Cockles and Mussels
North American premiere
Matteo Barone, Ireland, 2016, 4’44”

Language: English
Molly Malone is the symbolic effigy of Dublin, which in 1987 erected a statue to celebrate her memory. Nobody will ever know if the sweet Molly really existed, but tradition tells that she was a native of Howth, a fishing village, and that she earned money by selling seafood during the day and prostituting herself at night. The unlucky girl died on June 13, 1699, torn by a fever.However, legend says that the woman’s ghost still haunts the city’s old streets.

 

Ferruccio storia di un robottino / Ferruccio story of a (little) robot
North American premiere
Stefano De Felici, Italy, 2017, 6’30”

Language: Italian, with subtitles in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese Duccio is an inventor by vocation, and in his home workshop he faces an exceptional challenge. Thanks to his determination and a bit of magic, a short circuit will create Ferruccio, a robot created by assembling recycled contraptions.

 

Gaiwan
North American premiere
Elia Moutamid, Italy, 2015, 4’

Language: Italian with English and French subtitles
A graveyard. Two men. An unusual ritual in front of a grave will generate judgment, sarcastic prejudice followed by bewilderment and reflection. A parable of hope and death, which puts men on the same plane, beyond preconceptions.

 

Honest Frank
Daniel Heifa, Canada, 2017, 5’41”

Language: English
A brief portrait of Toronto’s iconic discount store Honest Ed’s, recently closed after 68 years.

 

La condanna dell’essere / Agony of a Human Being
World premiere
Adriano Morelli, Italy, 2017, 9’54”

Language: Italian with English subtitles
A man, a serial cheater, is haunted by a strong sense of guilt for always having cheated on his wife, even on her deathbed. He will seek solace in religion.

 

La sua Africa / Sort of Africa
Il Terzo Segreto di Satira, Italy, 2015, 3’

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Carlo, an immature college student, met Camilla, a young volunteer of an NGO working for humanitarian missions in Africa. He falls in love instantly, and to impress her, he decides to become an aid-worker.

 

Light Study
Josephine Massarella, Canada, 2013, 12’20”

Language: No dialogue
Filmed entirely in single frames over a three year period, in 16mm, using pixilation and time-lapse photography, Light Study explores the ecosystems along the Bruce Trail of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Infused with a proliferation of lakes, wetlands, waterfalls, and wildlife, Light Study instills an appreciation for nature.

 

Mamma non vuole / Mom doesn’t want me to
Antonio Pisu, Italy, 2016, 10’

Language: Italian with English and French subtitles
Alexander Lamberti, a successful entrepreneur, is betrayed by his wife, who is having an affair with his business partner. After splitting up, the wife manages to take over her ex-husband’s company. She plots ways to alienate Lamberti, badmouthing him in front of their youngest son, who becomes estranged from him.

 

Mannaggiamerica
World premiere
Roberto Zorfini, Canada, 2017, 10’

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Time flies, traditions stay. A simple homemade spaghetti sauce inspires conversations about new and old immigrations. The comedy that highlights the difficulties of immigration, no matter when it took place. Mannaggiamerica!!!

 

Marital Aids
World premiere
Liz Taylor, Canada, 2016, 10’58”

Language: Italian with English subtitles
When marital tensions boil over, one enterprising company sends stunt doubles to deal with the “flak”.

 

Non farti fottere / Don’t get fucked
North American premiere
Giovanni Iavarone, Italy, 2016, 8’25”

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Let’s open the doors of an Italian film production company to attend an “everyday meeting” between a producer and an aspiring actress: a generational gap full of sarcasm and sex. The dreams of a silly girl against the cynicism of a sneaky man. Who will win this match?

 

Office Kingdom
Canadian premiere
Salvatore Centoducati, Eleonora Bertolucci, Ruben Pirito, Giulio De Toma, Italy, 2014, 7’

In a quiet office, a customer is waiting for the approval of his document, but for the clerk who helps him, getting the right seal will not be easy.

 

Olivia
Alessandro Izzo, Italy, 2016, 8’14”

Language: No dialogues
Only children have survived in a post-apocalyptic world, where ancient alien remains lie under an unnatural mist. Among these, Olivia finds a way to survive and find humanity.

 

Piper
Alan Barillaro, USA, 2016, 6’

Language: No dialogues
Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film, Piper tells the story of a mother bird who tries to teach her little chick how to find food by herself. In the process, she encounters a traumatic experience that she must overcome in order to survive.

 

Ratzinger vuole tornare – Ratzinger is back
North American premiere
Valerio Vestoso, Italy, 2016, 9’34”

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Jo Pistacchio is an old-school wheeler-dealer. But above all, he is Joseph Ratzinger’s manager, i.e. the manager of Pope Benedict XVI. Obsessed with the desire of bringing him back to the top, he calls an experienced Vatican insider to inform him of his crazy idea: to take advantage of a bureaucratic loophole in order to ensure that his client will reign again.

 

Semiliberi
Matteo Gentiloni, Italy, 2015, 10’

Language: Italian with English subtitles
Alessandra is a loner, she doesn’t familiarize with anybody. One day she realizes that the ingenious plan designed by female cellmates is the opportunity to escape from her loneliness.

 

Still Fridays
World premiere
Amin Toyouri, Canada, 2016, 16’02”

Language: English
Still Fridays is a short documentary about Vincenzo Pietropaolo’s photography of the Good Friday ritual in Toronto’s Little Italy over 46 years. The Good Friday procession is a combination of biblical reenactments with live actors dramatizing the Stations of the Cross. The integration of still and moving imagery movingly evokes the sorrows felt by the people depicted in the film.

 

Tangerine Crossandra
World premiere
Kathryn McIntosh, Canada, 2016, 8’52”

Language: English with Italian and French subtitles
On the day of her most important college exam, Anna receives a letter from her estranged father,Dmitry. Anna hasn’t seen her father in 6 years, but refuses to read the letter until after the exam. She had no reason to assume it was urgent. It’s everything she’s ever wanted to hear, but it might be a day too late for apologies.

 

Teddy Bear
Canadian premiere
Hermes Mangialardo, Italy, 2017, 1’37”

Language: No dialogues
The sea is just the end of the journey of a teddy bear, trough war, fears but also hopes and a new beginning.