Author: Massimo Volpe

The Italian Contemporary Film Festival beats TIFF

TORONTO – Big news for the Italian Contemporary Film Festival as they beat out TIFF at the annual Canadian Event Awards. The ICFF won the prestigious annual award for “Best Corporate Event” of 2024, for their Closing Gala, A Night with Isabella (Rossellini). The grassroots, non-profit Italian Film Festival – also known as the Lavazza Inclucity Festival – began in 2012 as a four-day event, hosted in a single venue. 

Netflix Film “Nonnas” Hits #1

TORONTO – If you’re a Netflix connoisseur, of Italian descent, or a food enthusiast, you’ve likely already watched or heard of Nonnas, the latest #1 streamed film in the U.S. Co-written by Liz Maccie and directed by her husband Stephen Chbosky, Nonnas is based on the true story of Joe Scaravella (played by Vince Vaughn), an Italian American who opened a restaurant in his mother’s name after her passing. The story goes that Scaravella was so enamored with the matriarchs in his life [and their cooking], that he honoured their memory and traditions by opening a restaurant in Staten Island. 

Star Timothee Chalamet thanks Italian Cinema

TORONTO – The 70th edition of the David di Donatello Awards were hosted at the iconic Teatro 5 in Cinecittà, this past Wednesday. The evening was hosted by actress Elena Sofia Ricci and musician Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr., aka Mika. Ricci herself is a Donatello winner, having won the prize for Best Supporting Actress In 1988 – for her role in Carlo Verdone’s Io e Mia Sorella. Mika, whose music career launched with his 2007 pop anthem “Grace Kelly”, won over the Italian public as the first international mentor invited to the Italian X-Factor in 2014.