Women filmmakers swept the 70th David di Donatello Awards in Rome, with Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio emerging as the night’s biggest winner. The awards, often dubbed Italy’s equivalent of the Oscars, were held at Cinecittà Studios, which are currently undergoing a major transformation to attract international productions.
Vermiglio, Delpero’s post–World War II drama set in an Alpine village, took home seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Producer, and the debut prize for Best Casting. The film explores the emotional fallout among three sisters when a soldier returns home, disrupting their fragile peace.
Valeria Golino’s The Art of Joy also made a strong showing. Adapted from Goliarda Sapienza’s provocative feminist novel, the film follows a young woman named Modesta—played by rising star Tecla Insolia—who escapes poverty in early 20th-century Italy to seek personal and sexual liberation. The film won Best Actress (Insolia), Best Supporting Actress (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Another standout was Gloria!, the directorial debut of singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario. Set in an 18th-century Venetian orphanage, the musical comedy tells the story of a rebellious girl who leads a group of young performers to break musical tradition. The film won Best Debut Director, Best Song, and Best Score.
Elio Germano received Best Actor honors for his portrayal of Italian Communist Party leader Enrico Berlinguer in Andrea Segre’s The Great Ambition, a biopic chronicling Berlinguer’s political journey through the turbulent 1970s.
The Best Foreign Film award went to Anora, directed by Sean Baker. In his acceptance speech, Baker praised Italy’s cinematic legacy—from classic comedies to neo-realism—and paid tribute to legendary actress Ornella Muti, who was also honored with a lifetime achievement award.
This year’s ceremony spotlighted a new wave of female-led storytelling in Italian cinema and underscored the resurgence of Cinecittà Studios, which will soon host Mel Gibson’s The Resurrection of the Christ in its newly built Studio 22.
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