Lavazza IncluCity Festival Returns with a Star-Studded Lineup -- Including Guest of Honour Susan Sarandon
Leading the charge is Academy Award–winner Susan Sarandon, who will be honoured at this year's Closing Gala on July 19, hosted at Toronto's legendary industrial landmark, The Hearn. This exclusive evening promises to be the crown jewel of the festival and follows last year's headliner gala, which earned ICFF the title of Best Corporate Event at the Canadian Event Awards.
Opening night kicks off with the Canadian Premiere of Napoli-New York, starring Omar Benson Miller, who will be in attendance to present the film at the outdoor Trinity Cinema.
Adding even more star power, on June 28, Juliet & Romeo — a bold, musical reimagining of Shakespeare's classic — will bring lead actors Clara Rugaard and Jamie Ward along with director Timothy Scott Bogart to Toronto to celebrate the Canadian Premiere.
This year's festival also puts a spotlight on green architecture and design, with a special keynote by world-renowned architect Mario Cucinella, who will speak on the Canadian Stage on July 8, as part of ICFF's Architettura & Design series, followed by the launch of his first-ever Toronto exhibition at TMU on July 9.
Italy's genre-blending duo, the Manetti Bros., land in Toronto on July 9 and 10, to present their newest film, U.S. Palmese, and Diabolik: Who Are You?, joined by Giacomo Gianniotti, reprising his role as the iconic antihero, Diabolik.
Also hailing from Italy is actress Geppi Cucciari (Diamanti), who will take the stage on July 17, bringing her signature wit and charisma to the festival's lineup.
From Nigeria, Daniel Oriahi's tense thriller The Weekend arrives with star Meg Otanwa in attendance on July 5, while Filipino musical drama Song of the Fireflies makes its North American debut on July 20, featuring an appearance by beloved singer and actress Rachel Alejandro.
With red carpets, free concerts, and outdoor screenings, this year's festival is a summer celebration of culture, creativity, and community.
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Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account A Justin Bieber impersonator needs to say he is sorry after showing up at a Las Vegas hotel and duping staff into performing on stage over the weekend. The tattooed man with a buzz cut wearing shades and a black hoodie emulated the Canadian pop star's look and managed to perform an impromptu set of Bieber's songs in front of a large crowd Saturday night before he was kicked out of the hotel. 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This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Can someone explain why this is a thing? Going this far to look like somebody. Or are him and Justin working together to promote something? Not going to lie he almost had me fooled and clearly had all these other people fooled. Once I got in his face🤔naww🤣@LasVegasLocally — trinbeannn (@trinbeannn) August 17, 2025 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The man was identified as 29-year-old Dylan Desclos, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal . He has apparently appeared as Bieber at various events over the past eight years. A report two years ago by Britain's The Independent revealed the man is originally from Normandy, France. According to the Review-Journal , Desclos was accused by a TikTok follower in a since deleted post of trying to scam $10,000 worth of booze from the hotel. 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