The European Union Film Festival is the annual festival of European cinema in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, dedicated to bringing exceptional films from all over the European Union, with free access to films not distributed or rarely seen in Canada. In-person or online, the spirit of the European Union Film Festival remains unchanged: it presents a wide array of diverse films and authentic stories to be discovered.
In-person screenings will take place from November 13 to November 27.
Online screenings will be available from December 1 to December 15.
ITALY
@
THE EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Casanova’s Return
Il ritorno di Casanova
by
Gabriele Salvatores
ONLINE
December 1 to December 15
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER ONLINE SCREENING
IN-PERSON
TORONTO
Wednesday, November 19 | 8:30PM
SPADINA THEATRE
Alliance Française
24 Spadina Rd | Toronto ON
NOTE:
General admission is free on a first-come, first-serve basis with the option to book an advance reservation for $10.
IF YOU PREFER TO RESERVE A SEAT BY PURCHASING A TICKET – CLICK HERE
VANCOUVER
Wednesday, November 26 | 6:30PM PST
THE CINEMATHEQUE
1131 Howe St | Vancouver BC
TICKET PURCHASE LINK COMING SOON
OTTAWA
Friday, November 28 | 8:45PM EST
ALMA DUNCAN SALON
Ottawa Art Gallery
10 Daly Ave | Ottawa ON
TICKET PURCHASE LINK COMING SOON
Toni Servillo (The Great Beauty, Il Divo, The Hand of God) portrays Leo Bernardi, a successful and acclaimed Italian director. He’s approaching the end of his career but he cannot accept his slow decline. He has just finished shooting his last movie and he’s deeply sad. The movie is inspired by the novel about Casanova written by Arthur Schnitzler, a character so similar to the director, even more than he could imagine. Schnitzler’s Casanova is aged, glory days are over: he lost his charm and his attraction to women, he’s broke and no more eager to travel through Europe. After a long exile, he just wants to go back to Venice, his homeland. While traveling home Casanova meets a girl, Marcolina. She reawakens his desire, lost for years. So, he tries to seduce her but that leads him to a tragic understanding: he’s an old man now. It’s not by chance that Leo Bernardi decided to tell this story right now, in a pivotal moment of his life and career. The destiny of both Casanova and his director leads them to a final confrontation.
The film is directed by Gabriele Salvatores (Mediterraneo – Academy Award 1992 | Best Foreign Language Film) and is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Arthur Schnitzler.
Presented by the Embassy of Italy in Canada, the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto and co-presented by ICFF.
YEAR 2022
RUNTIME 90 min
COUNTRY Italy / France
GENRE Drama
LANGUAGE: Italian w. English subtitles
