Big surprises at the Toronto International Film Festival as usual. Forget the popular titles such as ‘The Danish Girl’, ‘Spotlight’, ‘The Martian’ and ‘Equals’. Films that won the big awards at TIFF this year have barely got a marquee. ‘Room’, ‘Desierto’, ‘Hurt’ and ‘Closet Monster’ took home the awards. Last year Elevation Pictures had the People’s Choice winning picture ‘The Imitation Game’ which went on to win screenwriter Graham Moore an Academy Award for his first screenplay. ‘Room’ and ‘Closet Monster’ are both Elevation Picture films and have scooped up two coveted TIFF awards: ‘Room’ the Irish-Canadian feature won The Grolsch People’s Choice Award; and ‘Closet Monster’, a debut feature from Canadian writer/director Stephen Dunn, won Best Canadian Feature. The big films will continue to gather attention, but the refreshing thing about film festivals like Venice and Tiff is that you can always expect the unexpected. Film gems will be discovered that without the hype of a festival such as TIFF would have much more difficulty getting noticed. We had 80 titles on our TIFF15 watch list this year, a testament to the high calibre of films and filmmakers given attention over the eleven days of the festival. Hats off to independent filmmaking.

People’s Choice Award 2015

‘Room’ is based on the internationally acclaimed novel by Irish-Canadian Emma Donoghue who also adapted screenplay. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Frank, 2014), this tense, often claustrophobia inducing film takes a magical view of the world told from the viewpoint of young Jack’s (Jacob Tremblay) eyes. It is a love story that perserveres even under the most gruelling circumstances. ‘Room’ stars Brie Larson, Joan Allen, William H. Macy and young Jacob Tremblay. Ma (Brie Larson) and Jack have been held in captivity for five years, Jack’s entire young life. Uniquely filmed from the tender young eyes of Jack the film follows his introduction to the real world once Ma manages to escape. The real star of the movie is Jacob Tremblay who delivers a truly remarkable performance. The film has also been nominated for the Best Pic at the London Film Festival. Look for it in theatres Oct.16th.

Lenny Abrahamson is an Irish filmmaker who’s touching comedy ‘Frank’, about a shy, young musician starring Michael Fassbender, who spends most of the movie with a large fake head on and Domhnall Gleeson, was featured on Netflix. ‘Frank’ showed Abrahamson’s extraordinary talent for a unique approach to storytelling with an unusual perspective.

FIPRESCI Prize Special Presentations

Desierto is a tense thriller directed by Jonás Cuarón, co-writer of Academy award winning film ‘Gravity‘. The film co-wrtten by Cuarón and Mateo Garcia and set in the Sonoran Desert is a harrowing story that follows the unexpected trials of a group of Mexican immigrants trying to illegally cross the border. A fairly simple journey becomes a nightmare as they become locked in the cross hairs of border guard Sam’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) shotgun. Sam has his loyal Belgian Malinois dog by his side and is unrelenting in his single minded determination to hunt down and kill every last illegal migrant. Sam knows the terrain of the desert in his sleep and holds all the cards when it comes to winning this gruelling man hunt. Moises (Gael García Bernal) must use all his cunning and pray for some incredible luck in order to survive and escape.

Award winning cinematographer Damián García (El Narco (2010), Güeros (2014), La vida precoz y breve de Sabina Rivas (2012) provides a spectacular canvas of the desert revealing its expansive natural theatre as well as the tiny details so vital to survival or as clues for the trackers. Toronto Platform Prize

‘Hurt’ is the story of Steve Fonyo, who at 18 years old did what Terri Fox tried to do but in the end could not. Like Terri Fox, Steve lost a leg to cancer and decided to run across the country to raise funds and awareness for cancer research and the victims it harms or kills. The film looks at what happened to Steve Fonyo since this heroic deed in 1984 and 1985. Its a great wakeup call to the easy way in which cancer fundraising efforts are focused on getting the money out of people’s pockets and what happens in the aftermath. Steve Fonyo was awarded the Order of Canada for his efforts but then when things got tough, his life became marginalized and he sunk into drug abuse and petty crime. The Federal Government stripped his medal from him — no helping hand was offered. The film finds him living on the outskirts of society in Whalley, BC, down on his luck but still with that spark not yet extinguished that galvanized him to run across Canada in the first place.

Alan Zweig won Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival for ‘When Jews Were Funny’, the Genie Award for Best Feature Length Documentary for ‘A Hard Name’ (2009), I, Curmudgeon received a Silver Hugo at the 2005 Chicago International Film Festival. He often focuses the camera on the subject he knows best, his own life experience.

Best Canadian Feature Film (Canada Goose)

Closet Monster, a coming-of-age story with a few dramatic twists, is the feature debut for Stephen Dunn who has written and directed the film. It stars Connor Jessup (Blackbird, Boy), Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly, Aliocha Schneider, Sofia Banzhaf, Jack Fulton, Mary Walsh and the voice of Isabella Rossellini.

Oscar Madly (Connor Jessup), a high school student from a small town in New Foundland, is an aspiring special-effects makeup artist. He is not only wrestling with questions of his own sexuallity, but is fearful of the social restrictions imposed by this small town. He suddenly finds he is overwhelmed with an attraction for handsome Wilder (Aliocha Schneider) whose carefree hedonistic, rebellious character is irresistible. Oscar is terribly inhibited by the memory of a brutal hate crime he witnessed as a small boy that has left an indelible mark on him and by his repressive parents. He struggles to come to grips with how to escape his narrow minded parents (Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly), the small New Foundland town and his repressive school environments. Gemma (Sofia Banzhaf) is his closest friend along with his hampster (voiced by Isabella Rossellini).

Elevation Pictures, founded by Teddy Schwarzian in 2013 is now a leading Canadian film and television distribution companies premiered 8 films at TIFF15 Room, Hyena Road, Closet Monster, Into The Forest, Legend, River, The Witch and Zoom.

Look for full updates on Tiff and Venice on @TheAwardsBuzz

Moira Romano

Welcome to our hub for the 2015 Venice International Film Festival! Visit daily to get the highest quality coverage of the hottest films at the festival this year! Check out our “72nd Venice Film Fest Fever” article to get an overview of the festival and our top 8 picks from the lineup.

Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Watson, Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, and director Baltasar Kormákur were among the cast and crew present at the 2015 Venice International Film Festival to represent ‘Everest’. Watch highlights from the red carpet world premiere and press conferences below.

The 72nd Venice Film Festival has massively reinvented itself and ignited serious Awards Buzz speculation. Director Alberto Barbera deserves the credit for skillfully breathing new fire into the world’s oldest film festival. The diverse lineup features international celebrities and a slate of new comers which is what film festivals should be about. The Venice Film Festival is a unique experience, an elegant and inclusive affair with that touch of glamour and mystery only the watery canals of this architectural gem can inspire.

Opening Night

Everest 3D IMAX. Baltasar Kormakur directs a gripping action thriller based on a true story about one of the worst climbing disasters caused by a severe snow storm on Mount Everest, Nepal. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, starring Jake Gyllenhaal the movie opens the 72nd Venice Film Festival. Everest is a breathtaking and intimate film about the men and women who climb Everest and the community that supports them. And it is about the mountain. Existing footage and elements of the 1996 movie ‘Everest’ and 1998 IMAX movie of the same name have been incorporated, lending essential location credibility. On April 25, 2015 a 7.8 earthquake hit Nepal killing 22 people on Mt. Everest. April 18th, 2014 an avalanche had killed 16 people. Everest is the most deadly mountain on Earth. Everest is now closed to climbers for the first time in 41 years. Ensemble cast includes: Sam Worthington,​ Kiera Knightly​, Emily Watson​, Robin Wright,​ Josh Brolin​. Soundtrack composed by Dario Marianelli Universal Pictures​. This one is a must see. Make it 3D IMAX.

Our Top 8 Picks

The Danish Girl

Director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Miserables) has proven he knows how to craft a film. This 1920’s love story is packed with star power. Eddie Redmayne plays Lili an artist who will pioneer transgender transformation with the help of his wife Gerda Wegener. The trailer is already causing major Awards Buzz.

Black Mass

Johnny Depp leaves his playful, charming and often roguish characterizations (Edward Scissorhands, Jack Sparrow) to return to more violent, dark characters (Sweeney Todd, Donnie Brasco) as he channels one of south Boston’s most infamous violent criminals. Black Mass is inspired by the true story of Whitey Bulgar, the brother of a state senator who becomes an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. Ensemble cast: Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Corey Stoll, Rory Cochrane, Sienna Miller, Adam Scott.

A Bigger Splash

A romantic thriller by Luca Guadagnino ( “I Am Love”), the third of a trilogy. Stars Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Matthias Schoenaerts. While on vacation on the idyllic Italian Island of Pantelleria, a famous rock star and a filmmaker (Matthias Schoenaerts and Swinton) have unexpected visitors arrive; an old friend and his daughter (Fiennes and Dakota Johnson). Then things get complicated.

Spotlight

Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, Win Win) directs this thriller, based on a true story. Michael Keaton (Birdman) and Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), the Boston Globe team who investigated the Boston Archdiocese’s sexl abuse cover-up. At the time the scandal was ignored by the mainstream media, police and the legal system. Also stars Rachel McAdams, Liev Schrieber, Brian D’Arcy James and Stanley Tucci.

Equals

Directed by Drake Doremus ‘Equals’ stars Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult, Guy Pearce, and Bel Powley. A futuristic sci-fi love story set in a world where emotions have been eliminated and asks the question “Can Love Conquer All”?

Janis: Little Girl Blue

A long anticipated documentary about Janis Joplin, the tomboy beatnik who would go on to become a rock icon, burning out at 27 from a heroin overdose. ‘Janis’ also reveals the woman behind the fame. Drawn from classic performances, rare footage and Janis’s personal letters. The voice over by Cat Power (Chan Marshall) is remarkably affecting. It is directed by Academy nominated documentarian Amy Berg.

L’attesa The Wait

Piero Messina, who was assistant director for Paolo Sorrentino on “This Must Be The Place” and “The Great Beauty”, makes his directorial debut with this long anticipated film. Described as a Pasolini-esque look at contemporary low life on Rome’s outskirts the film stars Juliette Binoche.

Anomalisa

Charlie Kaufman’s (“Synecdoche, New York,”, 2008) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & Being John Malcovich. This animated, stop motion feature was crowd-funded on Kickstarter and is co-directed with Duke Johnson.

American director Jonathan Demme who will receive the Persol ‘Tribute to Visionary Talent Award’ and Italian director Saverio Costanzo (Hungry Hearts) will each chair a jury at the Venice Film Festival, joining Competition president Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity).

Demme will head the Orizzonti, or Horizons, section dedicated to world cinema that awards prizes for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor or Actress, Best Short and a Special Jury award.

Catch up on our Awards Buzz web series and look for fresh reports and future episodes from Venice, TIFF and the Palm Springs International Film Festivals on the way to the Golden Globes, Emmy’s, People’s Choice Awards, BAFTA’s and the Oscars.

The ICFF is proud to present its 2nd annual Industry Day with a focus on Animation. Join us for a free day of in-depth keynote speakers, demonstrations, coffee & cocktails at the iconic Pinewood Toronto Studios!

Registration is limited – sign up to attend the event here!

The Italian Contemporary Film Festival is proud to announce its second annual industry day presented by ETV Film Inc. and Sheridan College’s Screen Industry Research and Training Center on June 18, 2015 at Pinewood Toronto Studios . With a focus on animation technologies, the day will bring together some of the most prolific names in Italian and Canadian animation and film, with presentations by AIC Movie Inc, Rainbow CGI, SIRT, The Italian School of Comics, Animatrik Film Design, and Zero Hour Industries.

For more information head to the official website www.icffindustry.com.

ICFF Industry Day is made possible through the generous support of ICFF, Sheridan Screen Industry Research & Training Center, MyETVMedia, ETV Film Inc.,Castlepoint Numa, The Stirling Room, York University, Animatrik, Ambi Pictures, Nespresso, and Ferrarelle.

Opening Night: June 11 TIFF Bell Lightbox

L’Oriana – Biopic about Oriana Fallaci – Director Marco Turco in person Opening Night

This biopic follows the life of Oriana Fallaci, the Italian journalist and author, and her thoughts as a front-line reporter and missed opportunity to be a mother. In one of her last trips back to Italy, Oriana decides to re-organize her journalistic and photographic materials stored for years in the old family home in the Tuscan countryside. To do so, she contacts the University of Florence who sends an aspiring journalist named Lisa. Lisa is well intentioned, but has no specific skills or qualifications. She simply accepted the job to get better acquainted with Fallaci, whom she considers an idol. A complex relationship ensues between the two, in which Oriana’s battle against death intertwines with Lisa’s battle for life.

Perez – Drama Director: Edoardo de Angelis

Demetrio Perez is a renowned and incorruptible criminal lawyer from Naples; perhaps one of the best lawyers of his time. He plays by the book and defends the forgotten and lost. However, after his daughter Tea gets romantically involved with Francesco Corvino, a young member of the Camorra crime family, his life takes a dangerous turn for the worse. After assisting Luca Buglione, the head of the Camorra, Perez decides to strike a deal. Buglione agrees to frame Corvino from inside the criminal organization, but only if Perez helps him recover some precious diamonds. Perez quickly realizes that he must take control to protect his endangered family and take action requiring him to cross the line between law and crime.

Me Ne Frego! I Don’t Care – Documentary Director: Vanni Gandolfo

This documentary by the Istituto Luce, linguist Valeria Della Valle and director Vanni Gandolfo explores the facist period of Italy. Travel back in time to discover an Italy run by ridiculous nationalistic purism, authoritarianism and clumsiness rather than credibility.

La mossa del pinguino ‘The Penguin’s Move’ Comedy Director: Claudio Amendola

Bruno is a 30-year-old man from Rome who has a wife and infant son. Unfortunately, he hasn’t found his path in life. Failure after failure cost him most of his savings. Through his outlandish and bold intuition he discovers curling- an un-popular sport in Italy, and decides to start a team in preparation for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. From that idea, Assault Penguins is born, ready to fight their way through obstacles to reach the podium. Will these underdogs make it?

Il Ragazzo Invisible ‘The Invisible Boy’ – Fantasy from Oscar winning director Gabriele Salvatores

This Oscar-winning director tells the story of Michele, a 13 year-old boy who lives in a quiet seaside town. Nobody can say he was popular in school or a brilliant student. However, one day the monotony of his normal life is shattered by an extraordinary discovery: Michele looks in the mirror and finds that he is invisible. iloveitalianmovies.com Nominated for 10 David di Donatello Awards

Fino A Qui Tutto Bene ‘So Far so Good’ – Dramatic Comedy Director: Roan Johnson

It’s the last weekend for five guys who studied and lived in the same house, where they ate old jars of spaghetti sauce and pasta with nothing on it, experienced stretches of boredom and rapid hookups, pulled all-nighters studying and parties at dawn. But now that their naive, exciting and protected time of life is about to end, they will have to become responsible adults. Each of them will go in a different direction, making choices that will change everything. Some will stay in their hometown, others will leave to work abroad. This is the story of the last three days these five friends share what might be the best time of their life and a moment they will never forget.

I Nostri Ragazzi ‘’The Dinner’ – Adapted Drama based on the best selling novel ‘The Dinner’ by Dutch author Herman Koch Director – Ivano De Matteo

When two brothers, more for appearance sake than anything else, get together with wives that hate each other for a monthly dinner, it’s not fun for anybody but it’s just something one does. The monotony of the family tradition might have continued forever had it not been for something their kids got involved in, something worse than anyone could have expected. Best European Film Award in the Venice Days Venice Film Festival.

Noi La Giulia – Comedy Director/Writer/Starring Edoardo Leo in person

Three unfulfilled 40-year-olds, Diego, Fausto and Claudio, run away from the city and their old lives – three perfect strangers who find themselves united in the endeavour of opening an agritourism business. Sergio, a 50-year-old mad man who is well past his sell-by date, and Elisa, a decidedly unhinged young pregnant woman, soon join them. But then Vito, a curious Mafioso, pulls up on the scene in his old Giulia 1300, demanding protection money and standing in the way of their dreams. This threat forces them to resist his tyranny in a rather extraordinary fashion, and this breathes life into an unpredictable, illogical and tragicomic adventure. A desperate sort of resistance is born… one that we would all like to partake in… if only we had the courage.

Nominated for 7 David di Donatello Awards 2015

La Nostra Terra ‘Terra Our Land’ – Director: Giulio Manfredonia

Planting tomatoes may seem like a safe activity, but not when it is conducted on land that has been confiscated by the state due to Mafia activity. This land belongs to the local Mafioso Nicola Sansone and is assigned to a group of amateur farmers. Although they are not professionals, they begin working the boycotted land. When they find themselves needing help, they are sent Filippo who has tried to combat the mafia for many years. The only problem is, he has only done so behind a screen. Through his desire to protect the land and the people on it, he will have to face his fears. With the help of Rossana, they work towards their ultimate goal.

Il Giovane Favoloso (Leopardi) – Biopic Italy’s greatest 19th century poet Director: Mario Martone

The story of 19th century Italian poet, Giacomo Leopardi, who travels from Rome and Florence against his parents’ wishes of him becoming part of his native Recanati high society. His desire is initially stifled by his overbearing father, which leads him to write his first work exploring the human condition and the insatiability of happiness. After finally embarking on his journey, he is ultimately let down by his expectations and instead becomes entangled in a love triangle between his friend Antonio Ranieri and Countess Fanny Targioni Tozzetti. He and Antonio move to Naples where they settle in a villa at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. A cholera outbreak leads Leopardi into a physical decline and results in his death.

My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes – Documentary Director – Oren Jacoby

Oren Jacoby has an Oscar nomination and has received recognition from the American Film Institute, the Sundance Institute, the Tribeca Institute, and the Alfred I. DuPont/Columbia Awards. He created and executive produced Bloomberg Television’s original documentary series, RISK TAKERS.

This is the story of sports idol, Gino Bartali and other courageous Italians who helped rescue the Jewish community, partisans and refugees from extermination in a Nazi-occupied Italy. Bartali worked within a secret network alongside thousands of other like-minded Italians who risked their lives to save those being persecuted from capture and death. While the entire continent was engulfed in a genocide, which took the lives of nearly 6 million Jewish people in the rest of Europe, more than 80 percent of Italy’s Jewish people survived with the help of this secret network. Bartali, like most of the rescuers, never sought recognition or reward for his efforts and few of those he helped knew his name or what role he played in their rescue.

Click here for the complete ICFF Film Screening Schedule!

3 Top Films Screening Out of Competition:

Italy in a Day | dir. Gabriele Salvatores | 75 mins | International Premiere

A 24 hour day in Italy recorded on smartphone, cameras and video gamers. Nominee Best Editing The David di Donatello Awards 2015

The Humbling starring Al Pacino & Greta Gerwig ‘Frances Ha’ (2012)

Director Barry Levinson remains mostly true to the Roth novel (2009) of the same name (screenplay by Buck Henry and Michal Zebede). Levinson achieved major success in the 80’s and 90’s, winning an Oscar for ‘Rain Man’ (1988). He has a history of bringing out great performances that have made brilliant movies; Dustin Hoffman in ‘Rain Man’, and Robin Williams in the highly acclaimed ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ (1992). Levinson has had recent critical success directing and producing the HBO TV series ‘The Borgias’, and TV movies also starring Al Pacino; ‘You don’t know Jack’ (2010) and ‘Phil Spector’ (2013) respectively. – Read the full review here. This movie premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and at TIFF 2014.

The Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship A film by Sergio Navarretta & Alessandra Piccione ‪#‎ColossalMovie ‬ ‪ Passionate, funny and filled with lovely vistas of Ontario’s wine country, the vineyards of Southern Ontario, this is movie is a light-hearted romantic drama that leaves one eager to have your own adventure in Ontario’s wine country as well. Starring Enrico Colantoni, Krista Bridges, Brooke Palsson, and David Cubitt. A relationship movie set in wine country