May 20 – The Roman actor and director has had a particularly prolific year, starring in the Oscar-winning “La Grande Bellezza,” and directing and acting in his own movie, “Sotto una buona stella.” And on June 19 in Toronto, Carlo Verdone will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Italian Contemporary Film Festival, the Canadian festival that every year promotes the best of contemporary Italian cinema, and that will take place at TIFF Bell Lighbox. Another master of Italian cinema, Giuseppe Tornatore, will open the Festival with the screening of his latest film, “La migliore offerta.” The event, held June 12-20, will also welcome director Paolo Genovese and Vittoria Puccini, for the presentation of “Tutta colpa di Freud,” Enrico Brignano and Alessio Maria Federici for the film “Stai lontana da me,” which premiers in North America during the Festival, and Martina Stella. In Toronto, there will also be Stephen Baldwin and Danny Glover, for the world premiere of “2047 Sights of Death” by Alessandro Capone, produced by Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi. Among the Italian comedies screened at the Festival, for the first time ever in North America there will be “Un boss in salotto” by Luca Minieri with Paola Cortellesi, “Una piccola impresa meridionale” by Rocco Papaleo, “Amiche da morire” by Giorgia Farina with Claudia Gerini, and “La mossa del pinguino” by Claudio Amendola. Premiering at the Festival and in Canada are also “La mafia uccide solo d’estate,” that is Pierfrancesco Diliberto’s (aka Pif) directoral debut, and “Nottetempo” by Francesco Prisco.
