David Di Donatello Awards: Feel-Good Movie ‘The Last One For The Road’ Sweeps Board To Win Best Film & Director

Francesco Sossai’s comedy-drama The Last One for the Road swept the board at the 71st edition of Italy‘s David di Donatello Awards at Rome’s Cinecittà studios on Wednesday, winning in eight categories including Best Film and Director.

The road movie, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at CAnnes in 2025, stars Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla as two fiftysomething men from Italy’s northern Veneto area who befriend a timid student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.

Having led at the nomination stage making it into 16 categories, the picture also won Best Actor for Romano, Original Screenplay, Editing, Original Song, Casting and Producer.

Further multiple prizewinners of the night included Italian opera director Damiano Michieletto’s first feature debut, the Venice-set Antonio Vivaldi-inspired tale Primavera; Silvio Soldini’s World War II drama The Tasters, about a group of young women forced to work as food tasters for Adolf Hitler who lived in fear of being poisoned; and martial arts action-thriller Forbidden City.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-winning picture One Battle After Another won the Best International Film Prize, beating contenders I’m Still Here, The Voice of Hind Rajab, The Brutalist and It Was Just an Accident, but the director did not make it to Italy to pick up the prize.

RELATED: Best International Feature Film Oscar Winners Through The Years: Photo Gallery

In honorary prizes, Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro was feted with the Special Prize Cinecittà 91 for his career including Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse now, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and Warren Beatty’s Reds as well as films with Dario Argento, Woody Allen, Carlos Saura, Richard Donner, Alfonso Arau, Paul Schrader and many others.

Director Gianni Amelio was celebrated with an honorary career prize, while the Special David Prize went to animator and director Bruno Bozzetto. Gennaro Nunziante’s record-breaking box office hit comedy Buen Camino starring Checco Zalone won the Spectator prize but neither the film’s director or its star made it to the awards ceremony.

Here are the winners at the 2026 David di Donatello Awards:

Best FilmThe Last One For The Road, Francesco Sossai

Best DirectorFrancesco Sossai, The Last One For The Road

Best First FilmMargherita Spampinato, Sweetheart

Best Original ScreenplayThe Last One For The Road,Francesco Sossai,  Adriano Candiago

Best Adapted ScreenplayThe Tasters, Doriana Leondeff, Silvio Soldini, Lucio Ricca, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda, Ilaria Macchia

Best ProducerThe Last One For The Road, Marta Donzelli and Gregorio Paonessa for Vivo Film, with Rai Cnema, in collaboration with Philipp Kreuzer for Maze Pictures, Cecilia Trautvetter

Best ActressAurora Quattrocchi, Sweetheart

Best ActorSergio Romano, The Last One For The Road

Best Actress in a Supporting RoleMatilda De Angelis, Fuori

Best Actor in a Supporting RoleLino Musella, Feeling Better

Best International FilmOne Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson

Best CastingAdriano Candiago, The Last One For The Road

Best CinematographyPaolo Carnera, Forbidden City

Best ComposerPrimavera, Fabio Massimo Capogrosso

Best Original SongKrano, The Last One For The Road

Best Art DirectionAndrea Castorina,  Marco Martucci, Forbidden City

Best CostumesPrimavera, Maria Rita Barbera, Gaia Calderone

Best Make-upEsmé Sciaroni, The Tasters

Best HairMarta iacoponi, Primavera

Best EditingPaolo Cottignola, The Last One For The Road

Best SoundGianluca Scarlata, Davide Favargiotti, Daniele Quadroli, Nadia Paone, Primavera

Best Special EffectsForbidden City, Stefano Leoni, Andrea Lo Priore

Best DocumentaryRoberto Rossellini, Living Without a Script, Ilaria de Laurentiis, Andrea Paolo Massara, Raffaele Brunetti

Best ShortEveryday in Gaza, Omar Rammal

Youth PrizeThe Tasters, Silvio Soldini