Lavazza IncluCity Festival Returns with a Star-Studded Lineup -- Including Guest of Honour Susan Sarandon
TORONTO, June 19, 2025 /CNW/ - The city's most vibrant open-air cinema experience is back! The Lavazza IncluCity Festival, presented by ICFF, takes over Toronto's Distillery Historic District from June 27 to July 20, bringing with it a dazzling lineup of global stars, exclusive premieres, and special events on and off its iconic outdoor couches.
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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Toronto Sun
13 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Think you know 'Jaws'? Test your knowledge with this trivia ahead of the movie's 50th anniversary
Published Jun 19, 2025 • 4 minute read This image released by Peacock shows a scene from "Jaws." Photo by Peacock/Universal Pictures / AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Friday marks the 50th anniversary of 'Jaws.' It remains one of the most beloved and rewatched movies of all time. But how good is your knowledge of the some of lore surrounding Steven Spielberg's 1975 masterpiece? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES 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. 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 Read on and see how much you know about 'Jaws.' What was the nickname given to the shark? Spielberg named his mechanical shark 'Bruce,' after his attorney, Bruce Ramer. Where did the title come from? When author Peter Benchley's 1974 book was going to print, he needed to choose a title. He has juggled various titles — 'Leviathan Rising,' 'Silent Fall' — before, at the last minute, choosing 'Jaws.' What did it mean? Benchley, himself, wasn't sure, he told his editor, but it was short. What's the origin of the iconic movie poster? The image of the rising shark came from the cover of the novel's paperback edition, illustrated by Roger Kastel. For his painting, Kastel went to the American Museum of Natural History to photograph a great white shark from a diorama that was laying on an easel. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. What was the inspiration for Amity? Though Spielberg shot 'Jaws' on Martha's Vineyard, off Cape Cod, it was the neighboring island, Nantucket, that inspired Benchley's novel. He has spent time fishing there with his father. In the book, the fictional Amity is on the south shore of Long Island. Who was first attached to direct 'Jaws'? Dick Richards was initially in line to direct the film, but producer Richard D. Zanuck said he lost the job after, in a meeting, repeatedly referring to the shark as a whale. How old was Spielberg when he began the project? 26. Who sought but was turned down the role of Brody? Charlton Heston wanted to play the Amity Island police chief, but Spielberg instead cast Roy Scheider. What's the name of Quint's boat? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Orca. Not coincidentally, two years after the massive success of 'Jaws,' a 1977 ripoff about a killer whale was released titled 'Orca.' What led to the shark often malfunctioning? Salt water. The shark, built by special effects artist Bob Mattey, would get corroded by the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving it unusable for times — particularly early in the filmmaking. Spielberg pivoted and instead doesn't show the shark until well into the film, an approach that ultimately led to a far more suspenseful film. Spielberg once estimated that Bruce's mechanical delays added $175 million to the movie's box office. How long into 'Jaws' does the shark fully appear on screen? It's not until one hour and 21 minutes into the movie that we really see the shark. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Was the movie's most iconic line scripted? No, Schieder adlibbed 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.' Screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, though, has said the line had been percolating on set. The size of the barge carrying equipment and craft services was often slighted by the crew who felt producers weren't spending enough. Gottlieb told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016: 'It became a catchphrase for any time anything went wrong _ if lunch was late or the swells were rocking the camera, someone would say, 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.'' What disaster was Quint a survivor of? The sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the U.S. Navy cruiser torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during World War II. Quint's lengthy and memorably speech in the film wasn't in the novel but was, according to Spielberg, penned by the uncredited screenwriter John Milius. Spielberg wanted a backstory to why Quint hated sharks so much. Though debate has continued over the years over who wrote the monologue, everyone has agreed Shaw synthesized it, and deserves most of the credit for the scene's power. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Does Spielberg appear in 'Jaws?' The director isn't seen in the film but his voice is heard. During the finale of the film when Quint is readying the harpoon, it's Spielberg's voice on the radio. He says: 'This is Amity point light-station to Orca. Orca, come in.' Spielberg shows up in a couple other ways, too. A clarinetist in high school, he plays briefly on Williams' score. And Brody's dogs were Spielberg's cocker spaniels, Elmer and Zalman. (For his part, Benchley makes a cameo as a TV reporter during the July 4th beach scene.) How far over schedule did 'Jaws' run? The production was scheduled for 55 days but took 159 days to complete. The budget also nearly tripled, to $9 million, plus $3 million more in post-production. Though 'Jaws' become the prototype summer movie, it was originally expected to open around Christmastime the year before. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. What was 'Jaws' rated? Though it caused some controversy, the Motion Picture Association of America gave 'Jaws' a 'PG' rating. At the time, there was no PG-13 rating. (That only began in 1984, with 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,' after a handful of other Spielberg productions, including 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'Gremlins' led to the new category.) Jack Valenti, then-president of the MPAA, defended the rating by arguing that ''Jaws' involved nature's violence, rather than man's violence against man,' Valenti said. 'This is the same kind of violence as in 'Hansel and Gretel.' Children might imitate other kinds of violence, but not the kind seen in 'Jaws.'' The movie's poster carried the warning: 'MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN.' What did 'Jaws' lose best picture to at the Academy Awards? 'Jaws' was nominated for four Oscars and won three: best sound, best editing and best score for John Williams. The competition for best picture, though, was fierce. The nominees, alongside 'Jaws,' where 'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'Barry Lyndon,' 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Nashville.' The winner was 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' NHL Basketball Canada Editorial Cartoons NHL
CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
Who will have the 2025 song of the summer? We offer some predictions
NEW YORK — What makes a great song of the summer? Is it an up-tempo pop banger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words 'summer,' 'sunshine,' or another synonym — 'California' — in the title? How could anyone attempt a song of the summer after the late, great Beach Boy Brian Wilson composed them so expertly, anyway? It very well may be subject to the eye (well, ear) of the beholder, but The Associated Press views the song of the summer as the one that takes over those warm months between June and August, the kind that blasts out of car speakers and at beach barbecues in equal measure. And that means many different things for many kinds of listeners. So here are AP's 2025 song of the summer predictions across categories, with past victors for reference. Find your song of the summer and then listen to our Spotify playlist, here. Song of the summer that inexplicably came out in January: 'NUEVAYoL,' Bad Bunny A song of the summer doesn't actually have to arrive in summer, or even in spring. History has proved this time and time again, lest anyone forget Olivia Rodrigo's 'drivers license' hit at the top of the year in 2021. But this summer, like every summer, is about Bad Bunny. On his latest album, 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos,' Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio pulls from Puerto Rico's rich musical history and hybridizes it. He does so from the very opener, 'NUEVAYoL,' which samples the fittingly named 1975 salsa hit from El Gran Combo, 'Un Verano en Nueva York' ('A Summer in New York'). Past champion: 'Boy's a Liar PT. 2,' PinkPantheress, Ice Spice (2023) Song of the summer for the chronically online: 'Tonight,' PinkPantheress An internet hero releases another super hit: PinkPantheress' 'Tonight' is an undeniable good time; all bassline house meets hyperpop vocals with a naughty chorus. The 24-year-old British singer-songwriter has proved she's got so much more to offer than a few viral hits — but her huge songs that blow up online? They tend to stay. That's more than can be said about past winners in this category. Past champion: 'Million Dollar Baby,' Tommy Richman (2024) Breakup song of the summer: 'What Was That,' Lorde Lorde's first new single in four years recalls the clever synth-pop of her 2017 album 'Melodrama,' casting aside the folk detour of 2021's 'Solar Power.' 'What Was That' is reserved revelation, introspective electropop that takes a measured look at a relationship's dissolution. It feels good, and bad, which is the point. Past champion: 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,' Bee Gees (1971) Song of the summer for the girls and all those who love them: 'Gnarly,' KATSEYE KATSEYE, the global girl group born out of K-pop development techniques, are 'Gnarly,' and they'd like you to be, too. The song is asymmetrical pop with a cheerleading cadence and extensive, expensive product placement. You're here for the girls, or you're not. Gnarly! Past champion: 'Bills, Bills, Bills,' Destiny's Child (1999) Song for singles ready to mingle this summer: 'WASSUP,' Young Miko Flirting is central to these hot months; no other season has a fling named after it. Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko knows this better than most, and her track 'WASSUP' is all about charisma — and it doesn't hurt that it interpolates 'Lollipop' by Lil Wayne featuring Static Major and 'Chulin Culin Chunfly' by Voltio featuring Residente. Past champion: 'Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin'),' T-Pain featuring Yung Joc (2007) Song of the summer for those who love British boy ballads performed by an American: 'Ordinary,' Alex Warren Last year brought Benson Boone's glossy soft pop-rock; this year, Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' is inescapable. A big, inoffensive ballad with loosely religious themes, it is meticulously designed to the pull at heartstrings. And it does — the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Past champion: 'Beautiful Things,' Benson Boone (2024) Song of the summer for when you lose the beef but still have fight left in ya: 'Nokia,' Drake For the last year, Drake has mostly made headlines for his rivalry with Kendrick Lamar, one of the biggest beefs in modern rap music history. He was no victor, but on 'Nokia,' he's certainly a winner. The song is a return to what Drizzy knows best: a massive rap-R&B-pop song for the ages, one that will live inside the minds of listeners for the whole year. Just, you know, replete with the nostalgic sounds of a Nokia ringtone. Past champion: The difference here, of course, is that Drake won his beef with Meek Mill. But nonetheless: 'Back to Back,' Drake (2015) The TikTok-approved, blast-of-dopamine song of the summer: 'Boots on the Ground,' 803Fresh Social media is the wild west and inevitably sources its own song of the summer. Usually, there's an element of humor in the track — like 2023's 'The Margarita Song' by That Chick Angel, Casa Di & Steve Terrell. This year is a bit different: 803Fresh's 'Boots on the Ground' is an organic hit that centers a kind of soulful line dance — it's country-pop with trap hi-hats and fun for the whole family. Past champion: 'The Spark,' Kabin Crew & Lisdoonvarna Crew (2024) Song of the summer for it girls: 'Fame Is A Gun,' Addison Rae Charli xcx fans, fear not. Addison Rae's debut album is stuffed with bejewelled, hypnotic pop songs for the post-'BRAT' crowd. Best of all is the Grimes-esque 'Fame Is a Gun,' a sunglasses-in-the-club banger with synthetic vocal textures and an unignorable chorus. For fashionable listeners, and those who aim to become more fabulous. Past champion: 'Bad Girls,' Donna Summer (1979) Song of the summer of revenge: 'Manchild,' Sabrina Carpenter Does it sound strikingly similar to 'Please, Please, Please' at times? Sure. But has Sabrina Carpenter cornered the market on country-tinged, satirical pop songs about heterofatalism, an internet neologism for those who find heterosexuality embarrassing and hopeless? Also, yes. But you know, with a wink, vengeance and a danceable quality. Amen, hey men! Past champion: 'Before He Cheats,' Carrie Underwood (from her 2005 debut album, but released as a single in 2006) Biggest song of the year, and therefore the default song of the summer: 'Luther,' Kendrick Lamar and SZA Is a song released in November too dated to qualify for song of the summer? Perhaps. But here's the rub: Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'Luther' held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks in 2025 — over half the year so far. Popularity makes the contender. It doesn't hurt that 'Luther' is also one of the best songs of both this year and last, a tender R&B ballad that samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 rendition of 'If This World Were Mine.' 'Luther' has since been dethroned on the charts, but no other song has come close to its run this year. Past champion: 'Last Night,' Morgan Wallen (2023) Country crossover song of the summer: 'What I Want,' Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae If terrestrial country radio is your leading metric for selecting the song of the summer, then Morgan Wallen's 'I'm The Problem' is likely your pick. But a catchier track with true country crossover appeal is 'What I Want' with Wallen and pop singer Tate McRae. It is the first time Wallen has featured a female vocalist on one of his songs. It's a rare embrace for the chart topper, who historically prefers to buck country duet tradition and double down on his vocal style — warm, muscular, masculine. Past champion: 'You're Still the One,' Shania Twain (from her 1997 album, but released as a single in 1998) Song of the summer released half a decade ago: 'party 4 you,' Charli xcx The data doesn't lie and what is old is new is old is new again. In the year after 'BRAT' summer, desire for more Charli xcx is still strong. As a result, fans have dug up a cut from her 2020 album, 'How I'm Feeling Now,' and turned it into their own summer anthem … five years later. So much so, in fact, that Charli released a music video for it in May. Past champion: 'Cruel Summer,' Taylor Swift (released in 2019, crowned song of the summer in 2023) Song of the summer with a canine-themed title: 'Mutt,' Leon Thomas Look, 'Mutt' also arrived in 2024, but in 2025 — bolstered by a deluxe release and a recent Chris Brown remix — makes 'Mutt' an easy song of the summer pick for some listeners. It's difficult to hear that chorus and not sing along: 'She said, 'Take your time, what's the rush?' / I said, 'Baby, I'm a dog, I'm a mutt.'' Past champion: 'Bird Dog,' The Everly Brothers (1958) Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
Cision Canada
15 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada celebrates Canada Day with 1867 tickets for $18.67
Celebrating our home and native land with a reel Canadian deal: 1,867 tickets daily for $18.67 TORONTO, June 19, 2025 /CNW/ - Ripley's Aquarium of Canada is diving into Canada Day celebrations with a True North Strong and SEA offer: 1,867 tickets per day for just $18.67 (plus HST), available onsite only from Saturday, June 28th through Tuesday, July 1st. This limited-time deal gives guests the chance to explore the wonders beneath the waves at a price that's sure to make a splash. "We wanted to really celebrate Canada Day this year with something special, a promotion that not only celebrates our great country, gives our guests a great deal, lets them connect with some incredible Canadian aquatic life, and most importantly, have a memorable Canada Day weekend." – Peter Doyle, General Manager. This offer is valid each day from Saturday, June 28 th to Tuesday, July 1 st, 2025. A total of 1,867 discounted tickets are available daily at the promotional price of $18.67 + HST and are only available onsite at the aquarium.
