July 15 – The Italian Contemporary Film Festival honors Silvio Soldini, director of “Pane e Tulipani,” the most acclaimed filmmakers of contemporary Italian cinema, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Soldini received the award during the closing ceremony of the Festival’s second edition, where he also presented “Per Altri Occhi,” a documentary film on blind people. The comedy “Una Famiglia Perfetta”, Paolo Genovese’s latest directorial work, premiered internationally at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto, and later went on to win The People’s Choice Award, while Daniele Vicari got a special mention for “Diaz, non pulite questo sangue.” The critics’ prize, aka the Angela Baldassarre Award, was awarded by the Toronto Film Critics Association to “Berberian Sound Studio,” a film by Peter Strickland that pays homage to the great horror directors: Argento, Bava and Fuci. The director, who spoke at the ceremony, was able to recreate the illusion of terror through the expedient of sound, dragging the audience on a journey that explores isolation and human madness. “Real Gangsters” crime thriller directed and starred in by Frank D’Angelo, received the IC Savings Award, for his contribution to Italian culture in Canada. Finally, “Buongiorno Signor Bellavista,” by director Alessandro Marinaro, was voted Best Short Film and received the $1000 reward that came with the Award. Mentions and special awards also went to Andrea Iervolino (AI Entertainment), a young Italian producer, who presented the comedies “E io non pago,” with Valeria Marini, and “Outing – Fidanzati per Sbaglio” with Nicolas Vaporidis. Both actors participated in the Festival and were awarded a special mention for their contribution to Italian comedy. Among the guests honored, there was the Italian-Canadian actor Walter Nudo for his role in the drama directed by Valerio Zanoli “Hopeful Notes.”
