The Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) returns to Toronto for its second edition. This year’s slate, 50% larger than the inaugural edition, includes a wide array of genres – from comedies and searing political dramas – to documentaries and shorts, and covers a variety of issues.
In addition, the ICFF is expanding to Montreal this year with a selection of films to screen in collaboration with La Cinématheque québecoise, from June 26 – June 30.
The festival kicks off tonight, June 26th, with Italian box office hit, BENVENUTO PRESIDENTE, a political comedy directed by Riccardo Milani. The opening night film stars Claudio Bisio (Oscar® winner Mediterraneo) as a modest, good-hearted librarian and avid fisherman who bears the famous name of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Through a series of voting glitches, “Peppino” finds himself mistakenly elected President of Italy, and thus leaves his small mountain village to embark on a colourful and fantastic adventure in Rome. Before long, he becomes a maverick statesman who wins over the disheartened nation with his enthusiasm, goodness, and honest nature. But behind the scenes, political machinations are afoot.
A few other feature films I’d like to point out are:
SIBERIAN EDUCATION (Educazione Siberiana)
Director: Gabriele Salvatores
Tuesday, July 2nd – 9PM TIFF Bell Lightbox
The story of a gang of children growing up in a lawless community in a forgotten corner of the former Soviet Union, Siberian Education follows two best friends who gradually become fierce enemies as they find themselves on opposite sides of the strict code of honour of the ‘honest criminal’ brotherhood. An adaptation of the Nicolai Lilin autobiography of the same name, this thriller stars John Malkovich as a colorful Russian godfather.
TSUNAMI TOUR
Director: Gianluca Santoro and Chiara Burtulo
Friday, July 5th – 7PM The Royal Cinema
“Beppe” Grillo is an Italian comedian, actor, blogger and political activist. As founder of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, he toured Italy in a camper van to hold rallies and meet the Italian public, winning 25% of the 2013 general election. This documentary gives an exclusive look at Grillo’s tour across the country.
BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO
Director: Peter Strickland
Wednesday, July 3rd – 7PM The Royal Cinema
For those of you who missed this film at TIFF last year, it pays tribute to Italian horror master, Mario Bava. In this sinister and moody thriller, Gilderoy, a timid English sound engineer (Toby Jones), finds himself working with a group of mysterious filmmakers on a low budget horror film in 1976 Italy. Immersed in a Kafkaesque world, he slowly begins to lose his mind.
THE LOST WORLD CUP (Il Mondial Dimenticato)
Directors: Lorenzo Garzella, Filippo Macelloni
Monday, July 1st – 4:30PM TIFF Bell Lightbox
At the height of the Second World War, the Jewish Hungarian Otz, a count with an avid love of football, then living in exile in Patagonia, decides to approach FIFA about staging a possible World Cup away from the chaos engulfing Second World War Europe. This film finally presents the true story of the 1942 World Soccer Championship, the story never acknowledged by the official sports organizations, shrouded for decades in legend. The outcome of the game is finally revealed.
THE RESURRECTION OF TONY GITONE
Director: Jerry Ciccoritti
Wednesday, July 3rd – 7PM TIFF Bell Lightbox
Shot in Toronto’s Little Italy, this tale of life, love, friendship and roots, directed, written and produced by Jerry Ciccoritti, showcases an impressive ensemble cast of actors in the Italian community.
There are also some feature-lenght documentaries, which will have FREE screenings:
ANTIGONE
Director: Antonio D’Alfonso
Sunday, June 30th – 5PM TIFF Bell Lightbox
A modern adaptation of the Greek tragedy written by Sophocles, has each character speaking in a different language
LETTER TWO
Director: Tony Nardi
Sunday, June 30th – 2PM TIFF Bell Lightbox
An examination of an ‘actor-less’ theatre culture in Canada at the hands of ‘director’s theatre’, in which, increasingly, a tradition of over-trained actors and under-trained directors is encouraged.
ZIA AND FRIENDS
Director: Angela Bianchi
Saturday, July 6th – 3PM TIFF Bell Lightbox
The film documents the lives of a few residents living at a long term care facility in Toronto. Most of them have dementia and spend their days eating, sleeping and sitting around the nursing station as they wait for God. They’ve lost track of time.
This year, the festival also has a variety of short films, which is great to see. The festival runs from June 26th to July 6th with film screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox and the Royal Cinema. For festival line-up, ticketing, and screening info go to icff.ca. See you at the movies, ciao!
