The deadline for entries for the Second Annual David di Donatello Award Contest was yesterday and – in boca al lupo (now you say “crepi”) to all of the people who have entered! It’s time to tell you who I think should win, and will win.
Winners of the awards will be announced on May 4 and of the contest on May 5.I have to say it – I have never felt so unsure of my picks!
Best Film
CESARE DEVE MORIRE
HABEMUS PAPAM – I am so torn between this one, Terraferma, and This Must Be The Place, but I’m going to say that We Have A Pope should win. Moretti really shows his maturity as a filmmaker in this very big story and makes it clear to me that he is one of the greatest in Italian film history.
ROMANZO DI UNA STRAGE – If the awards stay true to history, Romanzo di una Strage will win. The Davids tend to snub the movies that get lots of international attention, and besides, this one is full of stars.
TERRAFERMA
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE
Best Director
Paolo TAVIANI, Vittorio TAVIANI – Cesare deve morire
Nanni MORETTI (Habemus Papam)
Ferzan OZPETEK – Magnifica presenza
Marco Tullio GIORDANA (Romanzo di una strage) – I think they’ll give it to Giordana. I think that they’ll see this as a truly “Italian” effort.
Paolo SORRENTINO (This Must Be The Place) – Sorrentino should win. This Must Be The Place is an amazing achievement, and would have been even with an American director. The fact that an Italian was able to get the dialogue and story so right makes this one worthy of the award.
Emanele Crialese – Terraferma
Best New DIrector
Stefano SOLLIMA (ACAB – All Cops Are Bastards) – Sollima will win if the reaction from critics and the public have anything to say about it.
Alice ROHRWACHER (Corpo celeste) – Alice should win for this realer than real story of a young girl who moves to Calabria with her mother and sister.
Andrea SEGRE – Io sono Li
Guido LOMBARDI – La-bas educazione criminale
Francesco BRUNI – Scialla!
Best Screenwriting
Paolo TAVIANI, Vittorio TAVIANI, Fabio CAVALLI – Cesare deve morire
Nanni MORETTI, Francesco PICCOLO, Federica PONTREMOLI – Habemus Papam
Marco Tullio GIORDANA, Sandro PETRAGLIA, Stefano RULLI (Romanzo di una strage) -They’ll give it to Giordana.
Francesco BRUNI – Scialla!
Paolo SORRENTINO, Umberto CONTARELLO (This Must Be the Place) – Sorrentino’s really got English and specifically American dialogue perfect. In my mind he is the clear winner.
Best Leading Actress
Zhao TAO – Io sono Li
Valeria GOLINO – La kryptonite nella borsa
Claudia GERINI – Il mio domani
Micaela RAMAZZOTTI -Posti in piedi in paradiso
Donatella FINOCCHIARO – Terraferma – She should and will win. She was amazing in Terraferma and has built up a fine body of work that demonstrates that she is one of Italy’s best.
Best Leading Actor
Michel PICCOLI (Habemus Papam) – Piccoli will and should win. I think that this may act as a lifetime achievement award for him.
Elio GERMANO – Magnifica presenza
Marco GIALLINI – Posti in piedi in paradiso
Valerio MASTANDREA – Romanzo di una strage
Fabrizio BENTIVOGLIO – Scialla!
Best Supporting Actress
Anita CAPRIOLI – Corpo celeste
Margherita BUY – Habemus Papam – I just have to say this; Margherita won’t and shouldn’t win, not because she isn’t wonderful but because she was in the movie for about 5 minutes and I don’t understand this nomination.
Cristiana CAPOTONDI – La kryptonite nella borsa
Michela CESCON (Romanzo di una strage) Cescon wll and should win.
Barbora BOBULOVA – Scialla!
Best Supporting Actor
Marco GIALLINI – ACAB – All Cops Are Bastards
Renato SCARPA – Habemus Papam
Giuseppe BATTISTON – Io sono Li
Pierfrancesco FAVINO (Romanzo di una strage) will and should win.
Fabrizio GIFUNI – Romanzo di una strage
I Love Italian Everything 