(May 12, 2017) That of 2017 is going to be a record edition of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival, the film festival that will offer the best of Italian production in six Canadian cities from June 8 to 16. In addition to Toronto, Montreal and other cities involved in previous editions, this year the Icff expands to the city of Vancouver, on the western coast of the country. Over 180 projections scheduled on the bill, many will be the first absolute at international level and for North America. Icff partner - among others - the Italian Embassy, the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto and Montreal and the Italian Cultural Institutes of Toronto and Montreal. Guest of honor of the Festival will be Paola Cortellesi and Christian De Sica. The actor will receive the prestigious Career Award, which in previous editions had already been awarded to major performers such as Al Pacino, Roberto Benigni, Carlo Verdone and Claudia Cardinale. De Sica brings to Canada two of his latest works, "Poor but Rich" and "Fraulein-A Winter Fairy tale". The great Roman actor will also present one of the masterpieces of his father, Vittorio, "Matrimonio all'Italiana", a special event designed to create an ideal bridge that can unite the father's genius to the recitative of his son. Another star of great importance in this edition of the Icff, will be Paola Cortellesi, in Canada with two of her latest films, "Something new" by director Cristina Comencini and "Mom or Dad?" By Riccardo Milani, husband of the actress. Guests of the film festival will be two other stars of the likes of Giancarlo Giannini and Franco Nero, both of whom will feature in the movie The Neighborhood, which will be presented in Toronto for the world's premier. New York star Danny Aiello will also be one of the protagonists of the show, along with other international stars that will be present in Canadian clubs during the nine days of the festival. Also from Los Angeles, Alan Barillaro, 2017 Oscar-winning for best animated short film with Piper. The festival will pay homage to the director of Pixar Animation Studios, which has worked on the hits of "The Incredibles", "In Search of Nemo", " Monsters & Co. ", during the closing gala at Toronto's Ritz-Carlton. (Red)

ABOUT / ICFF

The ICFF promotes discovery, appreciation, and pride in the diverse and ever-evolving Italian heritage in Canada. Inaugurated as a grassroots non-profit film festival in 2012, the ICFF has grown to be the largest Italian film festival outside of Italy. Since its first edition, the ICFF has screened a collection of hundreds of feature films, documentaries and shorts from more than 30 countries. Every year it

attracts an audience of more than 30 thousand attendees in Toronto, Vaughan, Hamilton, Montreal, Québec City and Vancouver, to screenings, workshops, industry events and galas. The ICFF is proudly Canadian and showcases international films defying conventional perspectives on complex and challenging issues facing both the Italian and global communities.