Matteo Garrone’s refugee drama Io Capitano, an Oscar nominee this year for Italy in the best international feature category, was the big winner of this year’s 2024 David Di Donatello Awards, Italy’s equivalent to the Oscars, winning best film and director for Garrone.
Io Capitano also picked up prizes for best cinematography, editing, sound, and visual effects.
Paola Cortellesi’s There’s Still Tomorrow, a black-and-white feminist dramedy that became the top-grossing film in Italy last year, won Cortellesi the Donatello honors for best actress, directorial debut, and original script for the screenplay she co-wrote with Furio Andreotti and Giulia Calenda.
“I want to thank those who gave me the opportunity to write this role as I wanted it,” she said, accepting her actress honor.
Cortellesi’s film, a dramedy about an abused woman in post-WWII Rome that manages to combine serious social drama with situational comedy, sight gags and even a musical number, was also a huge commercial hit in Italy, outpacing Barbie at the local box office (earning some $40 million) and became a cultural phenomenon, sparking a new debate in Italy over domestic violence and femicide.
The best actor prize went to another actor-turned-director, Michele Riondino, who won the Donatello for playing the lead in his directorial debut, Palazzina Laf, a drama about workplace bullying. Co-star Elio Germano took the best supporting actor prize.
Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped, a drama about the true story of a Jewish boy taken from his family and forced to convert to Catholicism, took the Donatello for best adapted screenplay, for a script co-written by Bellocchio and Susanna Nicchiarelli, and was a big winner in the technical categories, taking awards for production design, costume design, make up, and hair.
The Donatello for best international film went to Justine Triet’s Oscar winner Anatomy of a Fall.
The 69th David di Donatello Awards were held Friday, May 3 at the legendary Cinecittà studios in Rome and broadcast live on Italian public broadcaster Rai 1.
See the full list of winners below.
Best Film
There’s Still TomorrowA Better TomorrowIo Capitano (WINNER)La ChimeraKidnapped
Best Director
A Better Tomorrow Nanni MorettiIo Capitano, Matteo Garrone (WINNER)Last Night of Amore Andrea Di StefanoLa Chimera Alice RohrwacherKidnapped Marco Bellocchio
Best Directorial Debut
There’s Still Tomorrow, Paola Cortellesi (WINNER)Disco Boy Giacomo AbbruzzeseFelicita Micaela RamazzottiPalazzina Laf Michele RiondinoFireworks Giuseppe Fiorello
Best Original Screenplay
There’s Still Tomorrow Furio Andreotti, Giulia Calenda, Paola Cortellesi (WINNER)A Better Tomorrow Francesca Marciano, Nanni Moretti, Federica Pontremoli, Valia SantellaIo Capitano Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, Massimo Ceccherini, Andrea TagliaferriLa Chimera Alice RohrwacherPalazzina Laf Maurizio Braucci, Michele Riondino
Best Non-Original Screenplay
Scarlet Pietro Marcello, Maurizio Braucci, Maud AmelineLubo Giorgio Diritti, Fredo VallaMisericordia Emma Dante, Elena Stancanelli, Giorgio VastaMixed By Erry Armando Festa, Sydney SibiliaKidnapped, Marco Bellocchio, Susanna Nicchiarelli (WINNER)
Best Producer
There’s Still Tomorrow Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Gangarossa for Wildside/ Fremantle; Vision Distribution, in collaboration with Sky and NetflixComandante Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima, Carlotta Calori, Viola Prestieri for Indigo Film; Pierpaolo Verga and Edoardo De Angelis for O’ Groove; Paolo Del Brocco for Rai Cinema; Attilio De Razza for Tramp Limited; Mariagiovanna De Angelis for Vgroove; Antonio Miyakawa for Wise PicturesDisco Boy Giulia Achilli, Marco Alessi, Lionel Massol, Pauline Seigland, André LogieIo Capitano Archimede, Rai Cinema, Pathé, Tarantula (WINNER)La Chimera Carlo Cresto-Dina for Rai Cinema
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Paola Cortellesi for There’s Still Tomorrow (WINNER)Like Sheep Among Wolves Isabella RagoneseFelicita Micaela RamazzottiLast Night of Amore Linda CaridiKidnapped Barbara Ronchi
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Valerio Mastandrea for There’s Still TomorrowAntonio Albanese for Cento DomenichePierfrancesco Favino for ComandanteJosh O’Connor for La ChimeraMichele Riondino for Palazzina Laf (WINNER)
Best Supporting Actress
Emanuela Fanelli for There’s Still Tomorrow (WINNER)Romana Maggiora Vergano for There’s Still TomorrowBarbora Bobulova for A Better TomorrowAlba Rohrwacher for La ChimeraIsabella Rossellini for La Chimera
Best Supporting Actor
Adriano Giannini for AdagioGiorgio Colangeli for There’s Still TomorrowVinicio Marchioni for There’s Still TomorrowSilvio Orlando for A Better TomorrowElio Germano for Palazzina Laf (WINNER)
Best Cinematography
Davide Leone for There’s Still TomorrowFerran Paredes Rubio for ComandantePaolo Carnera for Io Capitano (WINNER)Hélène Louvart for La ChimeraFrancesco Di Giacomo for Kidnapped
Best Editing
Marco Spoletini for Io capitano (WINNER) Francesca Calvelli, Stefano Mariotti for Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo MortaraNelly Quettier for La chimeraGiogiò Franchini for Last Night of AmoreValentina Mariani for There’s Still Tomorrow
Best Composer
Subsonica for Adagio (WINNER)Lele Marchitelli for There’s Still TomorrowFranco Piersanti for A Better TomorrowAndrea Farri for Io CapitanoSanti Pulvirenti for Last Night of Amore
Best Original Song
AdagioIl più bel secolo della mia vitaIo CapitanoMixed by ErryDiodato for ‘La mia terra’ in Palazzina Laf (WINNER)
Best Production Design
Paola Comencini, Fiorella Cicolini for There’s Still TomorrowCarmine Guarino, Iole Autero for ComandanteDimitri Capuani, Roberta Troncarelli for Io CapitanoEmita Frigato, Rachele Meliadò for La ChimeraAndrea Castorina, Valeria Vecellio for Kidnapped (WINNER)
Best Costume Design
Alberto Moretti for There’s Still TomorrowMassimo Cantini Parrini for ComandanteStefano Ciammitti for Io CapitanoLoredana Buscemi for La ChimeraSergio Ballo, Daria Calvelli for Kidnapped (WINNER)
Best Make Up
Antonello Resch, Lorenzo Tamburini, Michele Salgaro Vaccaro, Francesca Galafassi for AdagioErmanno Spera for There’s Still TomorrowPaola Gattabrusi, Lorenzo Tamburini for ComandanteDalia Colli, Roberta Martorina for Io CapitanoEnrico Iacoponi for Kidnapped (WINNER)
Best Hairstyle
Teresa Di Serio for There’s Still TomorrowMassimo Gattabrusi for ComandanteStefano Ciammitti, Dalia Colli for Io CapitanoDaniela Tartari for La ChimeraAlberta Giuliani for Kidnapped (WINNER)
Best Sound
There’s Still TomorrowComandanteA Brighter TomorrowIo Capitano (WINNER)La Chimera
Best VFX
Stefano Leoni, Flaminia Maltese for AdagioKevin Tod Haug, Stacey Dodge for ComandanteFabio Tomassetti, Daniele Tomassetti for Denti da squaloLaurent Creusot, Massimo Cipollina for Io Capitano (WINNER)Rodolfo Migliari, Lena Di Gennaro for Kidnapped
Best Documentary
Enzo Jannacci: Vengo Anch’io Giorgio VerdelliIo noi e Gaber Riccardo MilaniLaggiù qualcuno mi ama, Mario Martone (WINNER)MUR Kasia SmutniakRoma Santa e Dannata Daniele Ciprì
Best International Film
Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet (WINNER)The Beasts Rodrigo SorogoyenFallen Leaves Aki KaurismäkiKillers of the Flower Moon Martin ScorseseOppenheimer Christopher Nolan
