7 Km da Gerusalemme

Forty-three-year-old Alessandro, a Milanese ad exec, is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Heís lost his job; his wife and daughter have abandoned him. For obscure reasons and circumstances, he fi nds himself in Jerusalem, and he decides to walk all the way from the holy city to the sea. At seven kilometers from Jerusalem, however, Alessandro encounters an odd wayfarer: Heís wearing sandals, a tunic, and he has long hair. Moreover, he claims to be Jesus. Though Alessandro is skeptical, the two men strike up a friendship. And, each time they meet, at seven kilometers from Jerusalem, Alessandro asks him the answers to questions that every man who could encounter Jesus would yearn to know.

Che Casino

A bold and touching documentary of a sons search to understand his seventy-three-year-old fathers addiction to gambling. His quest leads him to explore the reasons why senior citizens are drawn to gambling, what makes them vulnerable to this addiction, and how gambling, though marketed as a harmless social activity, can be ruinous to the lives of susceptible individuals. Who governs the laws of gambling, where does the money go, and what is the cost of gambling to society? Che Casino bravely delves into these controversial issues while exploring the fragile relationship between a father and son.

Manuale d’Amore

Told in four separate, but interlocking parts, this bittersweet comedy chronicles four archetypal stages of love, each of which is enacted by a different couple. Tommaso and Giulia play out the proverbial process of ìfalling in loveî. Barbara and Marco experience their fi rst ìcrisisî after a longterm relationship; will having a child enable them to overcome it? Ornella is shattered by a dramatic ìbetrayal,î which she is determined to overcome with unexpected strength. Last, Goffredo comes to grips with ìabandonment,î seeking solace for his broken heart from an advice-fi lled audio-book. After his successful Che ne sarý di noi, Giovanni Veronesi is back with a movie that pays tribute to the big Italian comedies, arousing hilarity, even in its most painfully real moments.

Quarter Life Crisis

A group of twenty-something, Generation Y-ers struggle to fi nd their way in the world. Tomasso is a bright, educated, and ambitious 26-year old. Heís wasting his life working in a hockey arena. Heís also tormented by the memory of his ex-girlfriend leaving him after she has aborted his child. Tomasso and his best friend, Leo, plan a trip to Europe. They try to convince their unhappily married friend, Evan, to go with them. Evanís wife, however, wonít permit him to go, making Evan bitterly angry. Before he leaves for Europe, Tomasso meets Martinaóa comforting distraction. Martina, whoís looking for love and trying to please her overbearing mother, goes to great lengths to fi nd fulfi llment, as do all the characters in the fi lm.

Forever Blues

This poignant coming-of-age tale dramatizes the redemptive power of music. Marco is a half-American, half-Italian, semi-autistic boy on the verge of manhood. Luca is an aging, slightly embittered jazz musician. Over the course of their transformative, father-son-like relationship, the boy is able to fi nd an escape from his own brutal and alcoholic father and to discover his true calling. And the older musician is able to realize the joy of paternal love. A tour de force for Franco Nero, who directs, stars in, and co-wrote and produced the fi lm. Though a work of fi ction, it was inspired by Neroís reallife experiences in working with young orphans.

Il Giardino

A lyrical ode celebrating the gardens of Torontoís historic Little Italy. Through intimate conversations and hands-on footage, the fi lm lovingly reveals how, in maintaining their small, but thriving, gardens, immigrants to Little Italyónot all of whom are Italianó sustain their connection to their cultures of origin and transform the downtown Toronto landscape. Poignant and personal, the documentary also explores how the garden can deepen the relationship between an individual and her community. Throughout, Il Giardino pays homage to Vincenzo Caldarone, the directorís long-standing neighbour, who patiently taught her how to garden.

Alla Luce del Sole

On September 15, 1993, Father Guiseppe Puglisió known to everyone as ìPinoîóspent the day fulfi lling his usual round of pastoral duties in the impoverished Brancaccio section of Palermo, Sicily. He returned home at 8:20 p.m. Just as he left his car, a man stepped out of the shadows. He put a gun with a silencer to the priestís head and shot him dead. Roberto Faenzaís In the Light of the Sun brings to the screen the last two years in the all-too-real life of Padre Puglisi, who had dared to speak out against the Mafi a and to work to get kids off the streets, so that they might successfully resist the Mafi aís temptation of stolen goods, criminality and drugs. The fi lm features an intense and stellar performance by Luca Zingaretti as the heroic Padre whom many of Italyís faithful believe should be canonized.

Che ne Sara di Noi

The Greek island of Santorini provides a picturesque backdrop for this delectable coming-of-age tale. What Will Become of Us chronicles the initiation into adulthood of three nineteen-year-old friends, Matteo, Paul and Manuel. On the pretext of chasing after Carmen, with whom Matteo is in love, the three set off for the Greek tourist mecca with their backpacks stuffed with hopes and anxieties. Their summer adventure becomes a rite of passage as they naively try to set themselves free from families and home concerns.

Il Mio Miglior Nemico

Carlo Verdoneís My Best Enemy is a tragic-comic road movie, whose plotline rests on a chance encounter. Achille is the CEO of a major hotel chain owned by his wife, Gigliola, and brotherin- law, Guglielmo. He seems to have everything a man could desire: a rewarding position, sound marriage and beautiful home. However, as his silver wedding anniversary draws near, Achille meetsóor bumps intoóOrfeo. Orfeo lives in a working-class neighborhood of Rome. Like his friends, he lacks ambition, and manages to keep himself afl oat by means of small unskilled jobs. By a twist of fate, Orfeoís mother, Annarita, happens to be working for the same hotel chain thatís owned by Achilleís family. The story begins to unfold when Achille fi res Annarita for theft. Orfeo is convinced that his mother has been wrongly accused, and decides to take his revenge. This ambitious fi lm was shot in Rome, Sabaudia, Lake Como, Geneva and Istanbul.

World of Shorts

Being John

John has one of those familiar faces. As a result, he is always getting into trouble for something somebody else has done. But, one day, everything changesÖ

Compass

During World War II, a Canadian soldier comes across a dying enemy soldier, and saves his life. As his armed compatriots appear, the enemy soldier returns the favour.

Death Barn

A family uses their barn as a torture chamber.

Doppel

The Apocalypse has come and gone, and all that is known to remain is in landfi lls and junkyards. A new religion has emerged decreeing that adherents must retrace their steps by collecting remnants of their previous lives.

Transference

A middle-aged woman, Jen fi nds that she is pregnant after having lost a young infant to SIDS- she feels unable to face this challenge. Her war correspondent husband, having just returned from Afghanistan gifts Jen with a beautiful silk shawl. Jenís dreams are fi lled with lucid visions of the previous ownerís tragic life- she is compelled to reexamine her situation.

King George

A fierce gigantic ape, which looks a little like George W. Bush, terrorizes the good citizens of Toronto from the heights of the CN Tower. Only the heroic efforts of our nationís elected offi cials can save them.

Pit Stop

A two-minute snapshot on how to change the wheels on a camera dolly.

Rosebud

Succo Pomodori

An operatic homage to the Italian women who immigrated to Canada in the 1950ís and still perform the tradition of making tomato sauce in the laneways of Torontoís Little Italy.

Vivo Per Amore

A love story unfolds between an actress and a World War II soldier with a unique and stylistic twist inspired by the tango.