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