David di Donatello
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.
History
The David di Donatello Awards were first given in Rome in the spring of 1955. Created by a cultural club (then called The Open Gate), the aim was to honour the best of each year’s Italian and foreign films, similar to the American Oscars. Similar prizes had already existed in Italy for about a decade (for example, the Silver Ribbons), but these were voted for by film critics and journalists. However, the Davids have been and are awarded by the people in the industry: screenwriters, performers, technicians, producers and so on.
After Rome, the ceremonies were held at the Greek Theatre in Taormina, then twice in Florence, and finally returned to Rome, always with the support of the President of the Republic and now with the collaboration of the Rome City Council Cultural Policies Department.
The founding organization, now called the David di Donatello Organization is fully functional and works in concert with and thanks to the contribution of the Italian Ministry of the Performing Arts and the Ministry for Cultural Properties and Activities.
The presidents have successively been Italo Gemini (the founder), Eitel Monaco and Paolo Grassi. Currently, it is presided over by Gian Luigi Rondi who has worked with the organization since its inception.
The prizes are awarded primarily to Italian films, with a category dedicated to foreign language films.
Award categories
- David di Donatello for Best Film (from 1970)
- David di Donatello for Best Director
- David di Donatello for Best New Director (from 1984)
- David di Donatello for Best Script (from 1975)
- David di Donatello for Best Producer
- David di Donatello for Best Actor
- David di Donatello for Best Actress
- David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor
- David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress
- David di Donatello for Best Cinematography
- David di Donatello for Best Score (from 1975)
- David di Donatello for Best Sets and Decorations (from 1981)
- David di Donatello for Best Costumes (from 1981)
- David di Donatello for Best Editing (from 1981)
- David di Donatello for Best Sound (from 1987)
- David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film (from 1959)
- David di Donatello for Best European Film