Francesco Sossai’s ‘Last One for the Road’ Sweeps Italy’s David di Donatello Awards

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Francesco Sossai’s boozy feel-good dramedy The Last One for the Road (Le città di pianura) was the big winner at Italy’s David di Donatello Awards, sweeping the ceremony held at Rome’s Cinecittà studios on Wednesday night, taking home eight trophies including best film and best director.

The road movie, which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2025, stars Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla as two fifty something men from Italy’s northern Veneto region who strike up an unlikely friendship with a shy student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.

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The film entered the night as the frontrunner, with 16 nominations, and also won prizes for best actor for Romano, original screenplay, editing, original song, casting and producer.

Other multiple winners included opera director Damiano Michieletto’s feature debut Primavera, a Venice-set drama inspired by Antonio Vivaldi that collected four awards, including best score and best costumes.

Silvio Soldini’s World War II drama The Tasters (Le assaggiatrici), about a group of young women forced to serve as food tasters for Adolf Hitler while living in constant fear of poisoning, picked up three prizes including adapted screenplay and the David Giovani youth award.

Gabriele Mainetti’s martial arts action-thriller Forbidden City (La città proibita) also won three trophies, including cinematography, production design and visual effects.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar Best Picture Winner One Battle After Another won the David for best international film. Anderson was not present to accept the award.

Among the honorary prizes, Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro received the Special Cinecittà David Award in recognition of a career that includes work on Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and Warren Beatty’s Reds, as well as collaborations with filmmakers including Dario Argento, Woody Allen, Carlos Saura, Richard Donner, Alfonso Arau and Paul Schrader.

Veteran Italian director Gianni Amelio (The Stolen Children, Lamerica) was honored with a career David award, while animator and filmmaker Bruno Bozzetto received the Special David prize.

The David dello Spettatore, awarded to the year’s biggest local box office success, went to Gennaro Nunziante’s comedy hit Buen Camino, starring Checco Zalone, though neither the director nor the actor attended the ceremony.

2026 David di Donatello Winners

Best Film The Last One For The Road (Le città di pianura) — Produced by Marta Donzelli and Gregorio Paonessa for Vivo Film, with Rai Cinema, in collaboration with Philipp Kreuzer for Maze Pictures and Cecilia Trautvetter; directed by Francesco Sossai

Best Director Francesco Sossai — The Last One For The Road (Le città di pianura)

Best First Feature Margherita Spampinato — Gioia mia

Best Original Screenplay Francesco Sossai and Adriano Candiago — The Last One For The Road (Le città di pianura)

Best Adapted Screenplay Doriana Leondeff, Silvio Soldini, Lucio Ricca, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda and Ilaria Macchia — The Tasters (Le assaggiatrici)

Best Producer Marta Donzelli and Gregorio Paonessa for Vivo Film, with Rai Cinema, in collaboration with Philipp Kreuzer for Maze Pictures and Cecilia Trautvetter — The Last One For The Road (Le città di pianura)

Best Actress Aurora Quattrocchi — Gioia mia

Best Actor Sergio Romano — The Last One For The Road(Le città di pianura)

Best Supporting Actress Matilda De Angelis — Outside (Fuori)

Best Supporting Actor Lino Musella — Nonostante

Best Casting Adriano Candiago — The Last One For The Road (Le città di pianura)

Best Cinematography Paolo Carnera — Forbidden City (La città proibita)

Best Score Fabio Massimo Capogrosso — Spring (Primavera)

Best Original Song “Ti,” written and performed by Krano — The Last One For The Road (Le città di pianura)

Best Production Design Andrea Castorina and Marco Martucci — Forbidden City (La città proibita)

Best Costume Design Maria Rita Barbera and Gaia Calderone — Primavera

Best Makeup Esmé Sciaroni — The Tasters (Le assaggiatrici)

Best Hairstyling Marta Iacoponi — Primavera

Best Editing Paolo Cottignola — The Last One For The Road (Le città di pianura)

Best Sound Location Sound: Gianluca Scarlata; Sound Editing: Davide Favargiotti; Sound Design: Daniele Quadroli; Re-Recording Mix: Nadia Paone — Primavera

Best Visual Effects Stefano Leoni and Andrea Lo Priore — Forbidden City (La città proibita)

Best Documentary (David Cecilia Mangini Award) Roberto Rossellini – Più di una vita, directed by Ilaria de Laurentiis, Andrea Paolo Massara and Raffaele Brunetti

Best Short Film Everyday in Gaza, directed by Omar Rammal

Youth Prize The Tasters (Le assaggiatrici), directed by Silvio Soldini

Best International Film One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

David dello Spettatore Buen camino, directed by Gennaro Nunziante

Career David Gianni Amelio

Special David Bruno Bozzetto

Special Cinecittà David 71 Award Vittorio Storaro

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