ICFF Wraps Up 3rd Edition of Its Co-productions Conference with Important Canadian Delegation at the Lido
Venice Festival Sparks Creative Partnerships Between Italy and Canada
Biennale President Roberto Cicutto Opens Conference. Award to Micaela Ramazzotti
TORONTO – The ICFF proudly wraps up the third edition of its conference in Venice drawing a noteworthy number of producers, industry experts and a remarkable Canadian delegation to highlight and recognize the outstanding contributions and connections between Italy and Canada in the film industry.
Opening the conference was Roberto Cicutto, President of La Biennale di Venezia, who took part in the conference and delivered insightful remarks that underscored the significance of gatherings and events that spotlight Venice and Italy as focal points for filmmakers’ exchange; “The Biennale and the Venice Production Bridge events are the most important places for cultural diplomacy. These events represent the right path to start a new way of speaking, getting to know and collaborating with each other.”
The event, hosted at the famed Hotel Excelsior, was part of the official calendar of the Venice Production Bridge and was a celebration of the vibrant collaborations between the countries and territories involved. Hosted in partnership with Telefilm Canada, the Embassy of Canada to Italy in Rome, and in joint collaboration with SODEC, the conference proudly highlighted Canadian and Québécois contributions to the co-production landscape with Italy, thus honouring the 2023 VPB Focus on the province of Québec.
Talking about the synergies between these countries and film industries, Cristiano de Florentiis, ICFF Director and Co-founder, emphasized, “The ever-so-present importance of Italian-Canadian co-productions in today’s market is undeniable, and it is of paramount importance as it brings together international talents, ideas, budgets, expertise, and, overall, fosters a more diverse and inclusive storytelling environment. In that regard, ICFF is proud to continue in its mission to facilitate successful co-productions and ignite new interest, forging networking connections for innovative international collaborations”.
Among the notable panelists were Andrea Iervolino, Producer at ILBE who recently worked on “Ferrari” presented in World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival; Moira Romano and Alfredo Romano, Canadian co-producers who have worked on the award-winning film “Compulsion”. The speakers wisely talked about their experiences producing and working on bigger and smaller budget co-productions and movies that involved Italy, Canada and North America, offering valuable advice for future filmmakers venturing into similar endeavours.
ICFF was also proud to announce two very special accolades that were part of the ICFF 2023 festival award slate: the Best Producer prize presented to Emanuela Rossi, producer of AGIDI, in recognition of her role in the film “Il grande giorno” – an award that was also recognized during the 2023 Women in Cinema Award (WiCA) – and the Best Actress award that was bestowed upon Micaela Ramazzotti for her excellent performance in series “The Good Mothers” and the movie “Caravaggio’s Shadow” by Michele Placido.
Partaking in the conference was also Jeremy Adler, the Vice-Ambassador of Canada to Italy, who underlined the paramount significance of collaborations between Italy and Canada. He emphasized, “Italy matters to Canada, and Canada matters to Italy. With 1.5 million Canadians of Italian origin, we are natural partners to build, create, and innovate”. He then finished by delivering a message to Italian filmmakers to “consider Canada as a co-production partner for its technical merit and its diversity, equity, inclusion, and variety of content, stories, and narratives.”
It’s worth highlighting also the presence of some other key figures in the Canadian and Québécois film funding industry who offered remarks; Valerie Creighton, President & CEO of Canada Media Fund; Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO of Ontario Creates; and Elisa Valentin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie, and Acting Delegate of the Quebec Government Office in Rome.
Continuing the discussion on collaborative efforts between Italy and Canada were some prominent figures from the current co-production industry, including Marco Serrecchia (producer) and Chris Sanchez (producer and screenwriter) of “Sacred Creatures”, as well as Karen Storwick and Robert Curtis, partners at Combined Forces Production Collaborative. All panelists delved into their experiences working in collaboration with other countries and presented their unique projects between Italy and Canada. These projects ranged from the dark comedy-drama “Sacred Creatures”, an Italian-Canadian movie set to film in Piemonte at the end of September 2023, to “Gino”, an Italian-Canadian military story that explores themes of human connection and compassion.
The conference also marked the announcement of the annual ICFF Industry Days, which will take place on December 5-7 in Toronto. These three days are dedicated to further highlighting co-productions and collaborations between Italy and Canada, showcasing developments across various sectors of the industry, from new series and television to distribution and AI in the field of post-production, and will continue the networking mission established during the conference.
For the third consecutive year, the ICFF in Venice Conference continues to serve as a platform to celebrate creative international collaborations in the world of cinema, bringing together industry experts, filmmakers, and supporters to promote cross-border partnerships and innovation in the film industry. The next calendar appointment is then set for the beginning of December for the 11th edition of the Industry Days where the festival is anticipating over 550 attendees internationally.
