ICFF Kicks off the Award Season in Hollywood North
Director Francesco Costabile Takes the TIFF Stage to a Standing Ovation from the Canadian Academy and Top Film Insiders

TORONTO, Monday, December 1 – The countdown to the Oscars is officially underway, and Saturday night with ICFF felt like stepping straight into the heart of awards season with a star-studded affair. Familia, Italy’s official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards, was presented in front of a sold-out cinema of more than 500 guests who gathered to mark this pivotal moment in Italy’s Oscar campaign. Long before the lights dimmed, it was clear Toronto was hosting the industry event of the season.

As the red cinema seats of the TIFF Lightbox filled one by one, familiar faces from the Canadian and international film industry settled in—TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey among them, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television CEO Tammy Frick, acclaimed actress and former Venice Film Festival juror Sarah Gadon, and key executives from Amazon MGM Studios Canada—all gathered to support Italy’s 2026 Oscars contender. The anticipation in the room was palpable: this was not just a screening, but a celebration for the books.

Sarah Gadon (Actress), Cristiano de Florentiis (ICFF, Executive Director)

Familia, which already captured the heart of the Italian public, bringing home a David di Donatello (Best Supporting Actor, Francesco Di Leva), is now well on its way to captivating international audiences and critics alike. Saturday’s powerful and emotional standing ovation only further validated the film’s resonance with global viewers. The energy was lively, the applause loud, and the sense of occasion impossible to miss.

Flying in as part of the official Oscar campaign was the film’s Director Francesco Costabile, who joined the ICFF audience for this special North American showcase and sole Canadian spotlight. Costabile also participated in an engaging and heartfelt Q&A moderated by entertainment journalist Radheyan Simonpillai, who led a deep dive into the film’s moving narrative, the real-life story the film takes to screen, its universal themes of family and resilience, and the journey behind bringing this story to life.

Cristiano de Florentiis (ICFF, Executive Director), Francesco Costabile (Familia, Director), Cameron Bailey (TIFF, CEO)

Following the screening, guests stepped straight into Hollywood glamour with an unforgettable afterparty transformed in red and gold from floor to ceiling, an ode to the Oscars and the timeless allure of Tinseltown.

Paul Golini (ICFF, Chair), Gaetano Maiorino (Tramp Limited, Head of international co-productions & business affairs ) Francesco Costabile (Familia, Director) Cristiano de Florentiis (ICFF, Executive Director)

The TIFF Gallery was almost unrecognizable, reinvented with cinematic glitz, flowing prosecco, espresso martinis, refined Italian culinary creations, and striking photo moments framed by a massive Oscar-inspired backdrop that quickly became the star of the evening.
Once again, Toronto cemented its reputation as Hollywood North with a night that delivered beyond expectations, reaffirming ICFF’s role as the leading platform for showcasing contemporary Italian cinema to the world, and a key international supporter in Italy’s journey toward the Academy Awards.

Cristiano de Florentiis (ICFF, Executive Director) Mara Cataldi (ICFF, Director of Operations), Francesco Costabile (Familia, Director), Gaetano Maiorino (Tramp Limited, Head of international co-productions & business affairs ) and Paul Golini (ICFF, Chair)