TORONTO, ON – The tenth edition for the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) will kick off on June 19th with a red carpet drive-in Special Screening featuring Luca, a new animation from Disney and Pixar. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Enrico Casarosa (La Luna), this screening will take place on June 19th at Toronto’s renowned drive-in venue at Ontario Place, and will include a special greeting from Casarosa as well as an introduction from Character Art Director Deanna Marsigliese, an Italian-Canadian and proud Torontonian who launched the first decade of her career in this city.
Luca is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply held secret: they are actually sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.
“It’s an immense honor for us to have Pixar’s latest masterpiece, Luca, to inaugurate the 10th celebratory edition of the ICFF,” said Cristiano de Florentiis, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the ICFF. “Since the first images of the trailer we saw the connection to our festival, firstly for its location being set in Italy, the focus on true Italian culture and life-style, the Italian Riviera linked to our festival venue, which sits on an iconic Toronto waterfront, and lastly for its inspiring and uplifting message of friendship, understanding and community”.
The month of June also represents the Italian Heritage Month in Canada, which celebrates the exceptional contributions of Italian-Canadians in shaping today’s society. In this framework, the Special Screening of Luca represents a gift from Disney and Pixar to the Italian-Canadian community, honoring this celebration and providing audiences with an opportunity to reconnect after a long period of isolation.
Luca is a fun and heart-warming story about friendship, stepping out of your comfort zone and two teenage sea monsters who experience a life-changing summer. “This movie is about the friendships that change us,” said director Enrico Casarosa. “It’s a love letter to the summers of our youth—those formative years when you’re finding yourself. We can’t wait to share this story with attendees of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival,” said Casarosa. “I grew up in Italy, of course, and have a special place in my heart for the culture, the food and the country’s unique beauty—feelings I’m sure I share with many Italian-Canadians taking part in the festival.”
“This opportunity celebrates many beloved aspects of my life—my hometown, my heritage and my work,” said Deanna Marsigliese. “I’m truly honored to take part in ICFF and am so proud of this movie–this beautiful love letter to Italy.”
Luca debuts exclusively on Disney+ on June 18, 2021.
