Francesco Sosai’s second feature film, “The Last One for the Road,” which started with “Un Certain Regard” at Cannes, has become a surprise frontrunner for Italy’s top film award, the David di Donatello Award.
“For the Road,” the story of two penniless 50-somethings who befriend a small-time, shy architecture student, received a whopping 16 nominations in all major categories. The film will be released in the U.S. on May 1 through Music Box Films at Lincoln Center and IFC Center in New York, before expanding to other cities across the country.
The Last One for the Road was produced by Marta Donzelli and Gregorio Paonessa for Vivo Pictures for RAI Cinema (Italy) and co-produced with Philipp Kreutzer and Cecilia Trauvetter for Maze Pictures (Germany).
David di Donatello’s other frontrunner is Paolo Sorrentino’s Venice opener La Grazia, which reunites the Oscar-winning director with Great Beauty actor Toni Servillo, which was nominated for 14 awards. And “The Tasters,” director Silvio Soldini’s World War II drama about a German woman who is forced to taste Hitler’s food, has 13.
“La Grazia” was released in North American theaters by Mubi in December.
This was followed by Pietro Marcello’s “Duse,” starring Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, about Italian theater star Eleonora Duse, and “Fuori,” directed by Mario Martone, a drama set in 1980 Rome and depicting a specific period in the life of feminist writer Goriarda Sapienza, both of which received eight nominations.
Gabriele Mainetti’s Rome-set kung fu film “The Forbidden City” and Damiano Michieletto’s Antonio Vivaldi film “Primavera” both received seven nominations.
The 71st David di Donatello Awards will be held on May 6th at Studio Cinecittà in Rome.
