Pepe sul Cuore - Canadian Short Film Starring Eva Tavares and Claudia Ferri to Receive World Premiere at ICFF Lavazza IncluCity Festival in Toronto

Produced in Association with Perfect 7 Media Inc.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perfect 7 Media Inc. announced today that Pepe sul Cuore, a short film written and directed by Oriana Di Nucci, will receive its world premiere at the ICFF Lavazza IncluCity Festival on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 8:15 PM at the Spirit Theatre in Toronto, as part of the festival's Canada Spotlight programme.

The film follows Antonia, a young woman who, in the wake of her grandmother's death, attempts to heal her grieving mother's Mal'occhio (the evil eye), a curse that only her late Nonna knew how to cure. Rooted in Southern Italian folk tradition and told through a surrealist lens, Pepe sul Cuore is a story of grief, inheritance, and the rituals that bind generations of women together.

The film stars Eva Tavares as Antonia and Claudia Ferri as her mother Mary, a woman consumed by grief and convinced she has fallen victim to the Mal'occhio. Italian-Canadian actress Shanna Giannozio plays Benedetta with Zak Santiago, an award-winning actor ordained as a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church in 2024, appearing as the local priest. The film’s executive producer is Antonio Cupo, the Vancouver-born actor of Italian descent best known for his lead role in Elisa di Rivombrosa, Italy’s most-watched television series in history.

“Oriana brought a singular vision to this project, a story drawn from living cultural memory. Seeing it premiere at the ICFF is a genuinely proud moment,” said producer Micah Kelpin.

Writer-director Oriana Di Nucci grew up in Toronto’s Italian neighbourhood before building a career spanning theatre and film as a director, producer, and art director. Her work explores surrealist storytelling through the experiences of women, a voice that finds its fullest expression in Pepe sul Cuore.

The ICFF Lavazza IncluCity Festival was inaugurated as a grassroots non-profit in 2012 and has grown into one of the largest Italian film festivals outside of Italy. The Canada Spotlight programme celebrates new short filmmaking from across the country.

SCREENING DETAILS

Film: Pepe sul Cuore
Festival: ICFF Lavazza IncluCity Festival / Canada Spotlight
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | 8:15 PM
Venue: Spirit Theatre, Toronto, ON
Tickets: icff.ca

ABOUT PERFECT 7 MEDIA INC.

Perfect 7 Media Inc. is an independent Canadian production company based in Vancouver, BC, founded by producer Micah Kelpin. The company operates across development, production, and co-production, with an active slate spanning drama, comedy, and short-form work. Perfect 7 Media is a member of the CMPA and a signatory to WorkSafe BC and Producing for the Planet.

MEDIA CONTACT

Micah Kelpin
Perfect 7 Media Inc.
Vancouver, BC
hello@perfect7media.com

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