Maura Delpero’s Italian WW2 drama Vermiglio won best film at the 70th David Di Donatello awards, Italy’s version of the Oscars, held at Rome’s historic Cinecittà film studio on Wednesday night. Delpero also took best directing honors en route to a 7-trophy sweep.
The film, which had its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival last year, beat out the two award frontrunners, Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope, a sumptuous, occasionally surreal tribute to his hometown of Naples, and Andrea Segre’s The Great Ambition, a political biopic about Italian Communist Party leader Enrico Berlinguer, which lead the pack going into the David awards with 15 nominations each. Parthenope went away empty-handed, but The Great Ambition took two awards: Best actor for Elio Germano, who play Berlinguer, and best editing for Jacopo Quadri.
Tecla Insolia won best actress for her starring role in Nicolangelo Gelormini’s Sicilian period drama L’arte della gioia (The Art of Joy). Francesco Di Leva took best supporting actor for Francesco Costabile’s thriller. The David for best debut feature went to Margherita Vicario for Gloria!, a period drama about an all-female orchestra at a Church-run establishment in early-1800s Italy.
Timothée Chalamet added some Hollywood glam to the awards, attending the ceremony to receive an honorary David for “cinematic excellence.” The lifetime achievement honor went to writer-director Pupi Avati (Giovanna’s Father, Incanto). Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) received a special 70th anniversary David award.
In the best international film category, Sean Baker’s multi-Oscar winner Anora added a David to its trophy case.
Check out the full list of 2025 David Di Donatello winners below.
Best FilmThe Great Ambition, dir: Andrea SegreThe Time It Takes, dir: Francesca ComenciniL’arte della gioia prodotto, dir: Valeria GolinoParthenope, dir: Paolo SorrentinoVermiglio, dir: Maura Delpero WINNER
Best DirectorAndrea Segre for The Great AmbitionFrancesca Comencini for The Time It TakesValeria Golino for L’arte della gioiaPaolo Sorrentino for ParthenopeMaura Delpero for Vermiglio WINNER
Best Directorial DebutCiao bambino Edgardo PistoneGloria! Margherita Vicario WINNERI bambini di Gaza Loris LaiIo e il Secco Gianluca SantoniZamora Neri Marcorè
Best Original ScreenplayAndrea Segre, Marco Pettenello for The Great AmbitionEnrico Maria Artale for El ParaisoMargherita Vicario, Anita Rivaroli for Gloria!Francesca Comencini for The Time It TakesPaolo Sorrentino for ParthenopeMaura Delpero for Vermiglio WINNER
Best Adapted ScreenplayGianni Amelio, Alberto Taraglio for BattlefieldFrancesco Costabile, Vittorio Moroni, Adriano Chiarelli for FamiliaRoberto Proia for The Boy With Pink TrousersValeria Golino, Francesca Marciano, Valia Santella, Luca Infascelli, Stefano Sardo for L’arte della gioia WINNERGabriele Salvatores for Napoli – New York
Best ProducerThe Great Ambition: Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa for Vivo Film, Francesco Bonsembiante for Jolefilm, Rai Cinema, Joseph Rouschop for Tarantula, Martichka Bozhilova for AgitpropCiao bambino: Gaetano Di Vaio, Giovanna Crispino for Bronx Film, Alessandro Elia, Walter De Majo for Anemone Film, Andrea Leone, Antonella Di Martino for Mosaicon Film, Santo Versace, Gianluca Curti for Minerva PicturesGloria!: Valeria Jamonte, Manuela Melissano, Carlo Cresto-Dina for Tempesta, Rai Cinema, Katrin Renz for TellfilmVermiglio: Francesca Andreoli, Leonardo Guerra Seràgnoli, Santiago Fondevila Sancet, Maura Delpero for Cinedora, Rai Cinema, Charades (coproduction with la Francia), Versus (coproduction with il Belgio) WINNERVittoria: Nanni Moretti, Lorenzo Cioffi, Giorgio Giampà, in collaboration with Alessandra Stefani
Best ActressBarbara Ronchi for FamiliaRomana Maggiora Vergano for The Time It TakesTecla Insolia for L’arte della gioia WINNERCeleste Dalla Porta for ParthenopeMartina Scrinzi for Vermiglio
Best ActorElio Germano for The Great Ambition WINNERFrancesco Gheghi for FamiliaFabrizio Gifuni for Il tempo che ci vuoleSilvio Orlando for ParthenopeTommaso Ragno for Vermiglio
Best Supporting ActressGeppi Cucciari for DiamantiTecla Insolia for FamiliaValeria Bruni Tedeschi for L’arte della gioia WINNERJasmine Trinca for L’arte della gioiaLuisa Ranieri for Parthenope
Best Supporting ActorRoberto Citran for The Great AmbitionFrancesco Di Leva for Familia WINNERGuido Caprino for L’arte della gioiaPierfrancesco Favino for Napoli – New YorkPeppe Lanzetta for Parthenope
Best CastingStefania De Santis for The Great AmbitionAnna Pennella for FamiliaMassimo Appolloni for Gloria!Francesco Vedovati, Anna Maria Sambucco, Massimo Appolloni for L’arte della gioiaStefania Rodà, Maurilio Mangano for Vermiglio WINNER
Best CinematographyLuan Amelio Ujkaj for BattlefieldMatteo Cocco for DostoevskijDaniele Ciprì for Hey JoeFabio Cianchetti for L’arte della gioiaDaria D’Antonio for ParthenopeMikhail Krichman for Vermiglio WINNER
Best ScoreIosonouncane for The Great AmbitionThom Yorke for TrustMargherita Vicario, Davide Pavanello for Gloria! WINNERColapesce for Sicilian LettersNicola Piovani for The Children’s Train
Best Original Song“Knife Edge” – Music, Thom Yorke text and interpretation, for Trust“Diamanti” – Music Giuliano Taviani, Carmelo Travia, text Giorgia Todrani, interpretation Giorgia for Diamanti“Atoms” – Music and text Valerio Vigliar, interpretation Greta Zuccoli for Familia“Aria!” – Music and text Margherita Vicario, Davide Pavanello, Edwyn Clark Roberts, Andrea Bonomo, Gianluigi Fazio, interpretation Margherita Vicario for Gloria! WINNER“La malvagità” – Music and text Colapesce for The Sicilian Letters
Best Production DesignAlessandro Vannucci, Laura Casalini for The Great AmbitionLuca Merlini, Giulietta Rimoldi for L’arte della gioiaTonino Zera, Maria Grazia Schirripa, Carlotta Desmann for The Flood WINNERCarmine Guarino, Iole Autero for ParthenopePirra, Vito Giuseppe Zito, Sara Pergher for Vermiglio
Best CostumeMary Montalto for Gloria!Maria Rita Barbera for L’arte della gioiaMassimo Cantini Parrini for The Flood WINNERCarlo Poggioli for ParthenopeAndrea Cavalletto for Vermiglio
Best MakeupSara Morlando, Rossella Sicignano, Leonardo Cruciano, Viola Moneta for The Great AmbitionMaurizio Fazzini for L’arte della gioiaAlessandra Vita, Valentina Visintin for The Flood WINNERPaola Gattabrusi, Lorenzo Tamburini for ParthenopeFrédérique Foglia for Vermiglio
Best HairDesiree Corridoni for The Great AmbitionMarta Iacoponi, Carla Indoni for Gloria!Aldo Signoretti, Domingo Santoro for The Flood WINNERMarco Perna for ParthenopeTiziana Argiolas for Vermiglio
Best EditingJacopo Quadri for The Great Ambition WINNERWalter Fasano for DostoevskijGiogiò Franchini for L’arte della gioiaCristiano Travaglioli for ParthenopeLuca Mattei for Vermiglio
Best SoundAlessandro Palmerini, Marc Bastien, Vincent Grégorio, Franco Piscopo for The Great AmbitionEmanuele Cicconi, Alessandro Feletti, Alessandro Giacco, Marco Falloni for BattlefieldXavier Lavorel, Daniela Bassani, François Wolf, Maxence Ciekawy for Gloria!Emanuele Cecere, Silvia Moraes, Mirko Perri, Michele Mazzucco for ParthenopeDana Farzanehpour, Hervé Guyader, Hervé Guyader, Emmanuel De Boissieu for Vermiglio WINNER
Best Visual EffectsTristan Lilien, Michel Denis for The Great AmbitionFrancesco Niolu, Rodolfo Migliari for L’arte della gioiaFabio Tomassetti, Daniele Tomassetti for LimonovVictor Perez for Napoli – New York WINNERRodolfo Migliari, Lena Di Gennaro for Parthenope
Best DocumentaryDuse – The Greatest, dir: Sonia BergamascoThe Secret Drawer, dir: Costanza QuatriglioL’occhio della gallina, dir: Antonietta De LilloLirica Ucraina, dir: Francesca Mannocchi WINNERPrima della fine – Gli ultimi giorni di Enrico Berlinguer, dir: Samuele Rossi
Best International FilmAnora, dir: Sean Baker WINNERConclave, dir: Edward BergerJuror #2, dir: Clint EastwoodThe Zone of Interest, dir: Jonathan GlazerPerfect Days, dir: Wim Wenders
