This year’s David di Donatello Awards (the Italian Academy Awards) was the most exciting ever.
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for La Pazza Gioia
What a race! We’ve never seen such stiff competition, proof of a thriving Italian film industry. The 5 nominated films, La Pazza Gioia (Like Crazy), Indivisibili (Indivisible), Veloce Come Il Vento (Italian Race), Fai Bei Sogni (Sweet Dreams), and Fiore, are all David-worthy, but hardly the only films this year that merited nominations. It was a very good year for Italian cinema!
Unlike years in the past when the Davids were just another chance to award the same predictable winners, looking out at the #David2017 audience we saw the new face of Italian cinema
Micaela Ramazzotti and Valeria Bruni Tedesch, La Pazza Gioia, which has been pre-bought for North America by Sony Classics
The veterans were there, like Paolo Virzì, who won very big, by the way. His La Pazza Gioia (Like Crazy) – which we co-presented with EUFF Toronto in November – won Best Picture, he won Best Director, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi won Best Actress for her role in it.
But lots of nominations went to films that were off the beaten path, like Edoardo De Angelis’s Indivisibili(Indivisible) – which we co-presented at TIFF -, a refreshing, beautiful film that went home with 6 Davids including Best Supporting Actress for Antonia Truppo (and there may not have been a more deserving recipient all evening).
Antonia Truppo
Indivisibili (Indivisible)
The big surprise of the evening was our Matteo Rovere’s Veloce Come Il Vento (Italian Race) – which we screened in March as part of our Annual Program Series; in a contest that seemed to square off La Pazza Gioia and Indivisibili, this held its own and went home with 6 Davids including Best Actor for Stefano Accorsi.
Best Actor, Stefano Accorsi
A special David was awarded to Oscar winner Roberto Benigni, who said that he wasn’t going to thank his wife, actress Nicoletta Braschi, but share the David with her: “I did it with her, for her, and thanks to her.”
Roberto Benigni
Those of you who missed the show can stream a special backstage look at the ceremony on TV8 on Saturday April 1. It promises to have backstage moments, the best moments of the evening, and interviews with the winners.
