David Di Donatello Winners: Matteo Garrone’s ‘Io Capitano’ Wins Best Film & Director At Top Italian Awards

Matteo Garrone‘s Oscar-nominated drama Io Capitano triumphed in Italy‘s David di Donatello film awards on Friday evening, winning best film and best director.

The film about the trials and tribulations of two Senegalese teenagers as they try to make it to Europe via the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea, also won best producer for companies Archimede, Rai cinema, Pathé and Tarantula as well as best sound, special effects, cinematography and editing.

Io Capitano premiered at the Venice Film Festival last September, where it won best director for Garrone and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor for Seydou Sarr.

The movie went on to enjoy a buzzy awards season, securing a Golden Globe nomination for best non-English language film and an Academy Award nomination for best international film.

“This film tells the stories of those who are not listened to,” said Garrone, on receiving the best director award. “It was essential to make this film with those who actually lived that contemporary odyssey. Even on the set I was lucky enough to work with the extras who had made that journey and they helped me and I often found myself co-directing with them. I felt like a director but also a spectator.”

“I want to thank everyone who made the film with me, even the actors Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall. If the film has come this far it is thanks to their extraordinary, intense and true interpretation.”

Other top winners on Friday evening included Italian actress and director Paola Cortellesi’s There’s Still Tomorrow with six wins.

The drama clinched best new director, actress and original screenplay for Cortellesi as well as best supporting actress for Emanuela Fanelli, the spectator prize and the David Giovani, judged by a youth jury.

The black-and-white drama revolves around a downtrodden Rome housewife dealing with domestic violence, against the backdrop of Italy’s post-World War Two 1946 referendum giving women the right to vote.

The David di Donatello wins for There’s Still Tomorrow top a stellar run for the film which drew 4.8M spectators in Italy last year for a $35M ($33M euros) gross, beating global box office giant Barbie, which sold 4.3M tickets in the country.

“We’re all spectators… I’d liked to thank the five million people who left their homes, looked for a parking space and paid for a ticket to see the my film”, said Cortellesi as she received the spectator prize.

David di Donatello 2024 Nominations and Winners (in bold)

Best Film

Best Director

Best New Director

Best Original Script

Best Adapted Screenplay

Best Producer

Best Actress

Best Actor

Supporting Actress

Supporting Actor

Cinematography

Composer

Best International Film

Sound

Set Design

Costume

Make-up

Hair

Editing

Special Effects

Documentary