The Last One for the Road triumphs at the David di Donatello Awards

07/05/2026 – Francesco Sossai’s film racks up eight statuettes; prizes also for The Tasters, Sweetheart, Primavera and Forbidden City, while Paolo Sorrentino’s much-nominated La Grazia lost out

Over the course of the 71st David di Donatello awards ceremony, which was punctuated by statements opposing the ongoing wars and focusing on the Italian cinema crisis, a “small film” by the name of The Last One for the Road scooped eight trophies: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Sergio Romano), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Editing, Best Producer and Best Casting. Selected for Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2025, Francesco Sossai’s film unexpectedly garnered 16 nominations after an incredible run in cinemas carried by word-of-mouth, which has made it one of this year’s most significant cinematic successes.

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Paolo Sorrentino left the ceremony empty-handed, despite La Grazia having earned as many as 14 nominations, while The Tasters by Silvio Soldini clinched Best Adapted Screenplay, the Youth Award and Best Make-Up (Esmè Sciaroni) from among the first 13 nominations.

Another welcome surprise was the David for Best Emerging Director won by Margherita Spampinato via Sweetheart, which also earned 83-year-old Aurora Quattrocchi a Best Actress award. Three Davids — for Production Design, Cinematography and Visual Effects — went to Gabriele Mainetti’s ambitious and adrenaline-charged work The Forbidden City, while Damiano Michieletto’s Primavera picked up four Davids, all in technical categories: Best Composer (Massimo Capogrosso), Best Hair, Best Costume Design and Best Sound.

The award for Best Documentary went to Roberto Rossellini – Più di una vita by Ilaria De Laurentiis, Andrea Paolo Massara, Raffaele Brunetti, and Best Short Film was awarded to Everyday in Gaza by Omar Rammal, who explained: “I wanted to tell the everyday stories of people trying to survive amidst the rubble of Gaza.”

“I will never stop saying ‘Free Palestine’,” insisted Lino Musella, who was named Best Supporting Actor for Valerio Mastandrea’s Feeling Better, while Matilda De Angelis, crowned Best Supporting Actress for Mario Martone’s Fuori, expressed solidarity with film-industry workers hit by government cuts. 

An emotional standing ovation was given to Gianni Amelio, recipient of this 71st edition’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and to Vittorio Storaro, the master cinematographer and three-time Oscar winner who received the Cinecittà Special Prize. Award-winners revealed in the days ahead of the ceremony include Paul Thomas Anderson, who bagged the David for Best International Film thanks to One Battle After Another, and Gennaro Nunziante, who walked away with the Audience Award for the box-office hit comedy Buen Camino, starring Checco Zalone.

The full list of winners is as follows:

Best Film
The Last One for the Road – Francesco Sossai (Italy/Germany)

Best Director
Francesco Sossai – The Last One for the Road

Best Emerging Director
Sweetheart – Margherita Spampinato (Italy)

Best Documentary
Roberto Rossellini – Più di una vita – Ilaria De Laurentis, Andrea Paolo Massara, Raffaele Brunetti (Italy)

Best Producer
The Last One for the Road – Marta Donzelli and Gregorio Paonessa for Vivo Film, with Rai Cinema, in collaboration with Philipp Kreuzer for Maze Pictures, Cecilia Trautvetter

Best Actress
Aurora Quattrocchi – Sweetheart

Best Actor
Sergio Romano – The Last One for the Road

Best Supporting Actress
Matilda De Angelis – Fuori (Italy/France)

Best Supporting Actor
Lino Musella – Feeling Better (Italy)

Best Original Screenplay
Francesco Sossai, Adriano Candiago – The Last One for the Road

Best Adapted Screenplay
Doriana Leondeff, Silvio Soldini, Lucio Ricca, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda, Ilaria Macchia – The Tasters (Italy/Belgium/Switzerland)

Best Cinematography
Paolo Carnera – The Forbidden City (Italy)

Best Editing
Paolo Cottignola – The Last One for the Road

Best Casting
Adriano Candiago – The Last One for the Road

Best Costume Design
Maria Rita Barbera, Gaia Calderone – Primavera (Italy/France)

Best Make-up
Esmé Sciaroni – The Tasters

Best Hair
Marta Iacoponi – Primavera

Best Production Design
The Forbidden City

Best Visual Effects – VFX
The Forbidden City

Best Original Song
Ti – Krano (The Last One for the Road)

Best Composer
Fabio Massimo Capogrosso – Primavera

Best Sound
Primavera

Best Short Film
Everyday in Gaza – Omar Rammal (Italy)

Best International Film
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)

David Giovani
The Tasters – Silvio Soldini

(Translated from Italian)