The Vancouver Italian Film Festival migrates online for our 2021 iteration and constricts to a very manageable four films (plus one talk), but for all the brevity, there’s no drop off in quality. We are stoked to announce our line up, available on VIFF Connect between January 8 – 21: First up, a new, acclaimed, live action version of Pinocchio, with Roberto Benigni as Geppetto, and directed by the versatile Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah; Dogman; Tale of Tales).  Described by critics as “a landmark adaptation”, and a big hit in Italy last Christmas, Pinocchio is enchanting viewing for all ages.  

Next up, hot from opening the Venice Film Festival in the fall, we have the new film from the director of Our Lives (La nostra vita), Daniele Luchetti: The Ties (Lacci), a piercing study of adultery and betrayal with superb performances from Alba Rohrwacher and Luigi Lo Cascio.  

Sin (Il peccato) – directed by Andrei Konchalovski – is a profound and unsettling historical drama starring Alberto Testone as the XVI century artist Michelangelo. Sin was the closing night film at the Rome Film Festival.  

Finally, we present a tribute to the late, great composer Ennio Morricone, who passed away this summer, with a Film Studies lecture by Will Ross, and a chance to enjoy Sergio Corbucci’s extraordinary spaghetti western, The Great Silence (Il grande silenzio), which Morricone scored, and which had an indelible influence on Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful 8. 
  
Now in its 8th year, the festival is a co-presentation between VIFF, Il Centro-Italian Cultural Centre, and the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver. 
 
Info and tickets: Check www.viff.org for more details and ticket info soon.  

​Curious Minds: THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE - Streaming as of December 31

In his anticipated Curious Minds debut, world-renowned Renaissance scholar Dr. Kenneth Bartlett offers a richly illustrated survey of the great cultural flourishing that occurred on the Italian peninsula from the early 14th to 16th centuries. As he guides us through the era’s major centres of artistic and political power, he’ll examine the fierce competition that emerged among the states of Italy for the finest artists, architects, sculptors, poets, and writers of the day, resulting in a cultural tradition that still inspires us today.

Led by Dr. Kenneth Bartlett, Professor of History and Renaissance Studies at the University of Toronto. A celebrated Canadian academic, Prof. Bartlett has published numerous influential books and over 40 articles on the Renaissance, most recently “The Renaissance in Italy: A History,” and won world renown for his 5 video series for “The Great Courses.” A recipient of the prestigious 3M National Teaching fellowship among other such awards, he regularly leads tours to Italy for museums and cultural organizations. 

The six lectures in this series will all be available to stream as of Thursday, December 31. Once they are online, you can access each lecture at your leisure by clicking on links in your confirmation email, or by visiting your My Shows page.

Sponsored by Hollywood Suite

Details: https://bit.ly/3oF5dx1​

We received this letter from the Italian Consulate in Vancouver. The original Italian is below the English version:

​Consulate General of Italy – Vancouver
 
Vancouver, Dec 4, 2020
 
Dear all,
​
In a year when our travels were severely limited from the ongoing health emergency, I would like to restate my thanks for the valuable assistance you have provided to our community.
 
The Italians present in such a vast district have benefited from one strong network at their service in Western Canada that has proved up to the challenges faced in this difficult 2020.
​
I'm sorry that I couldn't visit your community, which although geographically distant from our homeland, have always kept the Italian spirit alive abroad.
 
I remain at your disposal, along with the entire office, for any of your needs and initiatives. I wish you to spend the next Christmas holidays in serenity and above all in good health for 2021.
 
Best wishes
Il Console Generale
Fabio Messineo

Con tutti,

In un anno in cui i nostri movimenti sono stati fortemente limitati dall' emergenza sanitaria ancora in corso, desi

I connazionali presenti in una circoscrizione cosi vasta hanno beneficiato di una forte rete al loro servizio in Canada occidentale che si e dimostrata all' altezza delle sfide affrontate in questo difficile 2020. 

Mi dispiace non aver potuto visitare le V ostre comunita che, seppur geograficamente distanti dalla nostra Patria, mantengono sempre vivo l' animo dell'italianita all'estero. 

Rimango a V ostra disposizione, insieme a tutto l 'ufficio, per qualsiasi V ostra esigenza ed iniziativa. 
Vi auguro di trascorrere le prossime festivita natalizie in serenita e soprattutto tanta salute per il 2021. 

con i migliori auguri
Il Console Generale
Fabio Messineo