The David di DonatelloItalian cinema award whose first edition dates back to 1956is considered one of the most prestigious awards for the seventh art internationally. Founded by Italo Gemini And Paolo Grassi On the lines of the American Oscars, it is assigned by the Academy of Italian Cinema to promote competition on film production both from an artistic and technical point of view. The statuette that is delivered to the winners is a miniature reproduction of – in fact – the David di Donatellostatue found to Florence in the National Museum of Bargello.
The statuette, initially made in gold by Bulgaritoday is in brass, weighs about 2 kgand it is 30.3 cm high: the reproduction of David has a weight of about 1150 gramsand it is 21.8 centimeters high. The base, on the other hand, is in white marble, veneered with malachite, and has a weight of 1050 grams.
The winners are selected by a jury composed of about a thousand prominent personalities of the cinematographic scene, candidates and winners of previous editions and exponents of culture and society.
David di Donatello: how did the idea come about?
Rome, 1950s. The Open Gate Cluba place designed to bring together Italian intellectuals with the foreign public, with the aim of reinvigorating Art and culture in the capital after the Second World War.
It is thanks to the cultural exchanges and contaminations to the Open Gate that, in 1953, with the aim of making an international art and culture of our country knows, the Committee for art and culture and the following year, International Cinema Circle which in 1955 becomes International Cinema Club. Italian films are starting to project, and to the guests in the room a cardboard is delivered on which they can express opinions: the initiative has a grandiose success, so much so as to bring Paolo Grassi And Italo Gemini to imagine a prize to be awarded to Best film at the end of the projections season.
The idea was born clearly from the Hollywood Oscars, but instead of a knight who holds a sword, the statuette assigned to the winners represents the Famous work by Donatello. The creation of the prize relies on the Bulgari High Jewelery house: the statue will be in gold, and will be accompanied by a plaque that certifies the category for which the prize was won.
The first edition of the David di Donatello in 1956
On July 5, 1956 al Fiamma cinema of Rome The first edition of this new initiative is held. Seven categories are planned:
- Best director
- best actor
- best actress
- best manufacturer
- Best foreign manufacturer
- Golden plaque and French embassy prize for the best sentimental film.
The best actress will be Gina Lollobrigidarewarded for The most beautiful woman in the world by Robert Z. Leonard. The won statuette was Auction beaten in 2013 From Sotheby’s.
David award ceremony, from 1956 to today
From the second edition, in 1957, the headquarters of the award ceremony moved from Rome to the Greek-Roman theater in Taormina, since it connects to the International film review of Messina. However, in 1971, in 1978 and 1979 he took place in 1979. In 1981, however, the final event took place in two different moments: both at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, to reward the European David and the David named after Luchino Visconti. Since 1982 the David event moved definitively to Rome.
From ’56 to today six presidents have followed:
- Italo Geminicinematographic entrepreneur, from 1955 to 1970
- Eatel Monacolawyer and film producer, from 1971 to 1977
- Paolo Grassijournalist, impresario and theatrical director, from 1978 to 1980
- Gian Luigi Rondicinematographic critic, from 1981 to 2016
- Giuliano Montaldodirector, screenwriter and actor, president of Interim from 2016 to 2017
- Piera Detassisjournalist and film criticism, from 2018 to today.
David di Donatello: how do you vote and who chooses the winners?
Just as explained in the Award Regulations, the selection takes place in Two shifts:
- In the first roundthe jurors report the films they consider most valid for each category. Each, based on their own area of competence – with personal and secret vote – can report up to three films. The most voted films enter first in a short list, then in the final cinquina, where there are therefore officially nominated films. In this first round the prize is already awarded to the best international film, the prize David Giovani Instead, he is assigned by high school students. For short films, however, the jury is made up of a specific commission, and for the documentary it votes the jury, but on an already pre -selected rose.
- In the second roundon the other hand, the jurors vote for the film that nominate as a winner.
The David di Donatello jury is composed between candidates and winners of the prize in past editions and culture and society experts. Among the names we find Diego Abatantuono, Antonio Albanese, Ambra Angiolini, Lino Banfi, Alessandro Baricco, Roberto Benigni, Cristina Comencini, Anna Foglietta, Pierfrancesco Favino, Paolo Fresu, Corrado Guzzanti, Claudia Pandolfi, Benedetta Porcaroli, Vittoria Puccini, Isabella Rossellini and many other names of the cinema scene in the cinema scene and Italian cultural.
