‘The Last One for the Road’ Leads Italy’s David Awards Nominations

Francesco Sossai’s sophomore feature “The Last One for the Road,” which launched from Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, is the surprise frontrunner for Italy’s David di Donatello Awards, the country’s top film prizes.

“For the Road,” which follows two broke 50-somethings who are small-time crooks and befriend a shy architecture student, scored a whopping 16 nominations across all the main categories. The film will open in the U.S. via Music Box Films at Lincoln Center and IFC Center in New York on May 1, and then expand to other cities nationwide.

“The Last One for the Road” is produced by Marta Donzelli and Gregorio Paonessa for Vivo film with RAI Cinema (Italy), in co-production with Philipp Kreuzer for Maze Pictures (Germany) and Cecilia Trautvetter.

The other David di Donatello frontrunners are Paolo Sorrentino’s Venice opener “La Grazia,” that re-teams the Oscar-winning director with “The Great Beauty” actor Toni Servillo, with 14 nominations; and Silvio Soldini’s WW2 drama “The Tasters,” about German women forced to taste Hitler’s Food, with 13.

“La Grazia” was released in North American cinemas by Mubi in December. 

They are followed by Pietro Marcello’s Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi-starrer “Duse,” about Italian theater star Eleonora Duse, and Mario Martone’s drama “Fuori,” set in 1980 Rome that depicts a specific period in the life of feminist writer Goliarda Sapienza, both with eight noms each.

Gabriele Mainetti’s Rome-set Kung-Fu Movie “The Forbidden City” and Antonio Vivaldi movie “Primavera,” helmed by Damiano Michieletto, both scooped seven noms.

The 71st David di Donatello awards will take place in Rome’s Cinecittà Studios on May 6.