On 12 July, the official opening of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival took place at the Cinema du Musée in Montréal. The event is organised by Vision Méditerranéenne and ICFF Canada with the support of the Consulate General of Italy as part of Fare Cinema, the initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture.
Over 300 selected guests, including the Italian Ambassador to Canada, Alessandro Cattaneo, attended the opening event, which was followed by a screening of the multi-award-winning film US Palmese, in the presence of its directors, brothers Marco and Antonio Manetti.
The festival is held in the heart of Petite Italie, the city’s historic Italian district, in the charming setting of Dante Park, from 2 July to 27 August. The screenings are enhanced by mini concerts, circus performances, and dance shows. Upcoming screenings include A Small Southern Enterprise by Rocco Papaleo, Naples–New York by Gabriele Salvatores, and The Trick by Roberto Andò.
Thanks to the participation of directors and actors from Italy, the organisers also aim to highlight two major anniversaries: the 150th anniversary of the birth of Elvira Coda Notari, a pioneer and the first female director in Italian cinema, and the 50th anniversary of the death of Pier Paolo Pasolini.
