The Italian Contemporary Film Festival has announced the line up for the 9th edition of its Festival taking place November 29 to Tuesday, December 8, 2020. The new ICFF at Home program brings together 50 expertly curated film and shorts, created in partnership with Toronto International Film Festival. Highlights include international and world premieres dedicated to Federico Fellini’s anniversary, the award-winner at Berlin Film Festival Hidden Away (2020), and the Italian box-office record Tolo Tolo, along with filmmakers’ presentations, directors’ and actors’ messages, Q&As and exclusive events.
 
The Festival dedicates this year’s edition, poster and opening day to the centenary of Fellini, the great Italian maestro of cinema. The opening online event of ICFF at Home will celebrate Federico Fellini in all his works and influences, thanks to the exclusive presentations and interviews featuring Silvia Giulietti, director of the new Fellini documentary Fellinopolis, and other guests and experts from Italy. 

The documentary, presented by ICFF in International Premiere, will show Federico Fellini like never before; images of the world-renowned director working behind the scenes of some of his most acclaimed and ground-breaking films with interviews and speeches from Fellini’s closest co-workers and trusted partners, to create a whole new insightful portrait of the auteur. To further recognize the life and the legacy of Fellini in contemporary cinema, ICFF presents the World Premiere documentary Fellini Première Fois on the larger-than-life filmmaker, realized by the Italian Canadian director Paul Tana.

The Festival will present the North American Premiere of Hidden Away (Volevo Nascondermi) by Giorgio Diritti and starring Elio Germano, winner of the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival. The film is biopic that follows the incredible life of Antonio Ligabue, one of the most important Naïve Italian painters of the 20th century.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning drama Aspromonte, land of the forgotten (Aspromonte, la terra degli ultimi) directed by Mimmo Calopresti, will also be part of the ICFF at Home collection as a Canadian Premiere, with a captivating and tearful story about a small village in the southern valley of Aspromonte. The film will be included in a special event, presented and organized in partnership with Heritage Calabria, who will bring an authentic Italian culinary experience to the film.

The Canadian Premiere of All my crazy love (Tutto il mio amore folle), the latest drama by Oscar-winning director Gabriele Salvatores. A heartfelt film, inspired by a true story, about a father and a son embarking on a motorbike trip that will take them on an adventure through Unites States and South America.

After the great box-office success that placed the film in fifth place in the list of highest grossing films of all times in Italy, ICFF is proud to present Tolo Tolo, directed, written and starred by the beloved Italian comedian Checco Zalone.

The biographical drama Hammamet directed by Gianni Amelio and starring Pierfrancesco Favino, winner of the 2020 Coppa Volpi at the Venice Film Festival. The film is breath-taking biopic based on the figure of Italian 1980s controversial leader Bettino Craxi.

Exclusive North American Premiere of Feel Your Memories (Tornare) directed by Cristina Comencini, a powerful drama that revolves around the themes of family and identity, all hidden under a thin vail of mystery.

Canadian Premieres for If only (Magari) directed by Ginevra Elkann and Copperman directed by Eros Puglielli; critically acclaimed dramas that have entranced Italian and International audiences alike.

More heart-warming and lively Italian comedies will be available on the platforms with incredible titles like Se mi Vuoi Bene directed by Fausto Brizzi, Odio l’estate directed by Massimo Venier, Airplane Mode (Modalità aereo) by Fausto Brizzi, and Dolceroma by Fabio Resinaro.

Every year ICFF Cucina honours of the best Italian culinary traditions through a journey for the senses that combines great films with exquisite food. This year, in celebration of the Italian Cuisine Week in the World, ICFF, in collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Toronto, will present two films about two of the most classic and traditional dishes that characterize the cuisine “made in Italy”: A Fish Out of the Water a food adventure documentary starring the Italian Michelin-star chef Lorenzo Cogo, on a journey to discover the origin of the iconic Italian recipe of dried codfish, also known as stockfish  and The True story of Tiramisù about the one of the most loved desserts. For the occasion, the films will be accompanied by the possibility of ordering the same dishes online, thanks to the collaboration with Eataly.

ICFF Architettura & Design, presented by Great Gulf, continues its commitment to exhibiting the famous Italian traditions and great innovators, who have shaped the world’s very concept of architecture and design. This year ICFF tributes Renzo Piano, world-famous architect who is now currently building the new Toronto Courthouse, with the remarkable documentary Renzo Piano: The Architect of Light, directed by award-winning director Carlos Saura, and presented by renowned architect Silvio Baldassarra. ICFF will also present the documentary Palladio, by Giacomo Gatti, on the extraordinary architect Andrea Palladio and his influence on contemporary North American buildings and design models.

Once more, ICFF Youth will maintain its focus on teaching and entertaining the younger generations through important international films on relevant topics of discussion. This year ICFF has decided to renew and innovate the Youth Program by bringing the festival directly to the digital classrooms, keeping safety as a top priority. Engaging and educating kids is the mandate of the Youth program, that for this year’s edition will include the screening of two films showcasing diversity as their main component: The Legend of Sarila, directed by Nancy Florence Savard, and Kuessipan, directed by Myriam Verreault.

Fans can access the collection with an online Festival Pass for only $30 that will give them unlimited access for 10 days or, alternatively, through a single movie ticket option. Click here to purchase. Single tickets can be purchased for $6.99. Visit the website for a full listing of movies playing.

Rogers TV service customers will also have exclusive access to 13 ICFF films to create their own at-home film festival directly through Ignite TV and Digital TV. Ignite TV customers can simply say “Italian Movies” into their voice remote to explore a curated list of films; or visit Channel 100 to browse the collection and dive into the beauty of Italian filmmaking. The collection will be available starting November 29 until December 8.

 

 

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.