“I Captain” won the David di Donatello for best film. The 69th edition of the David di Donatello, the most important Italian film awards, took place on Friday evening at the “Cinecitá Studios” in Rome. The ceremony was presented by Carlo Contiin his ninth hosting of the event after those of 1999, 2000, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Together with him, he hosted the evening Alessia Marcuzzimaking its debut on the awards night.
The main prize, the one for best film, was won by “Io Capitano”, the poignant masterpiece on immigration by one of the greatest directors of contemporary Italian cinema, Matteo Garrone. His blockbuster was also the feature film to have won the highest number of David di Donatello awards this edition, seven: best film, best director, best producer, best cinematographer, best editing, best sound and best special visual effects. As “I Captain” became the eighth film to win seven Davids by Donatello. The second film with the most awards won this year is “There’s Still Tomorrow”an epic and moving female portrait directed and performed by the very talented actress Paola Cortellesi, who received six statuettes. In third place were the five awards brought home by “Kidnapped”the fresco of nineteenth-century Rome directed by the always impeccable Marco Bellocchio. Among the statuettes awarded to “There’s Still Tomorrow”, the one to Cortellesi for best debut director stands out, making her the sixth woman to have received this David after Francesca Archibugi in 1989, Simona Izzo in 1994, Roberta Torre in 1998, Laura Samani in 2022 and Giulia Steigerwalt in 2023. The director and actress from Rome also won the David for best leading actress for the second time, after winning it in 2011 with “No one can judge me”. In this way she became the sixth artist to win the main female acting award twice after Anna Magnani, Claudia Cardinale, Florinda Bolkan, Lina Sastri, Giuliana De Sio, Asia Argento, Elena Sofia Ricci and Jasmine Trinca.
Among the prizes reserved for performers, noteworthy are those a Elio Germano as best supporting actor for “Palazzina Laf” and others Emanuela Fanelli as best supporting actress for “There’s Still Tomorrow”. For Germano it is Donatello’s seventh David. In this way he equals the legendary Marcello Mastroianni as the second actor to have won the greatest number of Davids, after the seven of the immortal couple Alberto Sordi-Vittorio Gassman. For Fanelli, however, this is the second consecutive award won in the category reserved for supporting actresses after having already won it last year with “Drought”. So she is the fifth to accomplish this feat after Stefania Sandrelli, Margherita Buy, Angela Finocchiaro and Antonia Truppo.
Also to be applauded is the first David di Donatello for best leading actor awarded to Michele Riondino for “Palazzina Laf”. Particularly moving during the evening were the great applause that the audience gave the actress Milena Vukotic and to the journalist Vincenzo Mollicawinners respectively of the David for lifetime achievement and a special David.
THE DAVID DI DONATELLO AWARDED IN 2024
Best film: “Io Capitano” by Matteo Garrone Best director: Matteo Garrone for “Io Capitano” Best debut director: Paola Cortellesi for “There’s Still Tomorrow” Best original screenplay: Furio Andreotti, Giulia Calenda and Paola Cortellesi for “C’ it’s still tomorrow” Best adapted screenplay: Marco Bellocchio, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Edoardo Albinati and Daniela Ceselli for “Kidnapped” Best producer: Archimede, Rai Cinema, Pathé and Tarantula for “Io Capitano” Best leading actress: Paola Cortellesi for “C’è still tomorrow” Best leading actor: Michele Riondino for “Palazzina Laf” Best supporting actress: Emanuela Fanelli for “There’s still tomorrow” Best supporting actor: Elio Germano for “Palazzina Laf” Best director of photography: Paolo Carnera for ” Io Capitano” Best composition: Subsonica for “Adagio” Best original song: “La mia terra”, song written, set to music and performed by Diodato for “Palazzina Laf” Best set designer: Andrea Castorina and Valeria Vecellio for “Rapito” Best costume designer: Sergio Ballo and Daria Calvelli for “Rapito” Best make-up: Enrico Iacoponi for “Rapito” Best hairstyle: Alberta Giuliani for “Rapito” Best editing: Marco Spoletini for “Io Capitano” Best sound: Maricetta Lombardo, Daniela Bassani, Mirko Perri and Gianni Pallotto for “I captain” Best special visual effects: Laurent Creusot and Massimo Cipollina for “I captain” Best documentary: “Someone over there loves me” by Mario Martone Best short film: “The Meatseller” by Margherita Giusti Best international film: “Anatomy of a fall” by Justine Triet – France – David Giovani: “There is still tomorrow” by Paola Cortellesi Special David: Vincenzo Mollica David for lifetime achievement: Milena Vukotic and Giorgio Moroder David of the spectator: “There is still tomorrow” by Paola Cortellesi, seen at the cinema by 5,534,653 spectators
THE FEATURE FILMS THAT WON THE DAVID DI DONATELLO AS BEST FILM IN THE LAST TWO DECADES
2010. “The man who will come” by Giorgio Diritti 2011. “We believed” by Mario Martone 2012. “Cesare must die” by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani 2013. “The best offer” by Giuseppe Tornatore 2014. “Human capital” by Paolo Virzí 2015. “Black Souls” by Francesco Munzi 2016. “Perfect Strangers” by Paolo Genovese 2017. “La Pazza Gioia” by Paolo Virzí 2018. “Ammore e malavita” by Manetti Bros. 2019. “Dogman” by Matteo Garrone 2020. “The traitor” by Marco Bellocchio 2021. “I wanted to hide” by Giorgio Diritti 2022. “It was the hand of God” by Paolo Sorrentino 2023. “The eight mountains” by Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch 2024. “I captain ” by Matteo Garrone
