Some people want to boycott the 2026 David di Donatello Awards The nominations and what’s happening in Italian cinema

The nominations for the David di Donatello 2026 did not take place in a particularly calm climate for Italian cinema. The day before the nominations saw the Coordinamento Autori Autrici (100autori, ACMF, AIDAC, AIR3, ANAC, WGI) release an open letter titled There Is No Italy Without Cinema, expressing concern over the cuts in funding to the Cinema and Audiovisual Fund by 90 million, while the tax credit allocated to foreign films shot in Italy increases from 40 to 100 million. A document signed by figures such as Paolo Sorrentino, Valeria Golino, Paolo Genovese and many others, supported as well by professionals from other areas of the audiovisual industry, including actors and actresses ranging from Filippo Timi to Jasmine Trinca.

A noble appeal, however challenged by another faction within the entertainment industry, which reproaches its colleagues for having stepped in too late. Siamo ai titoli di coda, an independent political and cultural movement within the film and audiovisual sector, highlighted the delay with which these prominent figures acted, accusing them of a lack of foresight and a loss of time that may have compromised further actions as well as slowed down the recovery of the Italian market.

Cuts to the Cinema Fund and the crisis of Italy’s audiovisual sector

Because, despite the thriving output praised during the David di Donatello press conference, with an emphasis on the quality and diversity of a sector that, in reality, seems to nominate (and even award) the same names and the same things over and over again, what appears to be happening outside institutional narratives is far worse. A “Ministerial decree for the allocation of resources for the development of investments in cinema and audiovisual” has been reduced from €696 million in 2025 to €606 million in 2026, suggesting a continuous downward trend when it comes to creativity and development for its representatives in Italy. This risks triggering a crisis that is already beginning to affect mid-sized and especially small productions, potentially leading to the disappearance of independent Italian cinema, or at the very least making its survival significantly more difficult.

An internal division within the industry that reveals one of its biggest structural issues, and certainly not a new one: an inability to act as a unified system that puts many people’s work at risk, for a world that seems to speak to only a few and that once again has proven to be distant and fragmented instead of operating as a cohesive front. This is why Siamo ai titoli di coda is calling for a message to be sent to the signatories of There Is No Italy Without Cinema, a gesture that could amplify the letter’s message and attempt to send a real signal both within and beyond the audiovisual sector: boycotting the David di Donatello ceremony, which will take place on May 6 and be broadcast in prime time on Rai Uno, once again hosted in the historic Cinecittà studios, a cinematic landmark for both Rome and Italy.

The nominations at the David di Donatello 2026

Another major issue with Italian cinema, however, is that a few empty seats (or many) will certainly not be enough to shed light on what it is going through. Especially when using an event like the David di Donatello as a stage to draw attention, an event that audiences at home tend to ignore. The call has been made, and it is now up to the nominees to decide what to do, whether to attend or boycott the event. For instance, Paolo Sorrentino’s absence could certainly become a talking point, with his La grazia receiving fourteen nominations, if it weren’t for the fact that last year the director and screenwriter had already been absent despite the nominations of Parthenope, reportedly for personal reasons.

And while more marginal cinema risks facing its darkest hour, the winner of these awards, regardless of how the ceremony unfolds, is undoubtedly Le città di pianura by Francesco Sossai, a low-budget film shot across the Veneto region, where viewers were guided by Sergio Romano, Pierpaolo Capovilla and Filippo Scotti, the latter being the only one not nominated, unlike even the supporting actors Andrea Pennacchi and Roberto Citran. Sixteen nominations, with a presence in every major category. Our own Sinners, minus the vampires but with a similarly, if not higher, level of intoxication. A title that deserves to win everything, both because it would be fair and because of the laziness of this year’s nominations. Or perhaps of an entire film industry that, despite its value, had few arrows left in its quiver in 2025, settling into predictable patterns and conventional works.

Outsiders, absences and controversies

This is why the major absences stand out the most, those that could have made a difference. The sharp comedy of Il rapimento di Arabella by Carolina Cavalli, Paolo Strippoli’s horror La valle dei sorrisi, the reimagined western set in Lazio with Testa o croce?. The only surprise is the five nominations for Gioia mia, a small debut film by Margherita Spampinato. Also nominated for Best Debut, where four out of five nominees are women, balancing the total absence in the Best Film and Best Director categories. A point that Piera Detassis, President and Artistic Director of the David di Donatello Foundation, also highlighted as a subtle reminder to producers: while it is easy to invest in female directors at their debut, they should also be supported as they continue their careers, not left behind, perhaps with increased budgets.

At its core, this is still an award that uses the label “Best cinematography author”, as if women could not take on the role of DOP. And yet Italy has had a female cinematographer win even before the Oscars, where in 2026 the first woman in ninety years won, Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners. The fact that there is almost always just one recurring nominee, namely the talented Daria D’Antonio, says a lot about this profession and should not be overlooked.

The most questionable nominations at the David di Donatello

As for the rest, the David di Donatello delivered the usual oddities it is known for. In the Best Song category, a 2014 track by Brunori Sas, Arrivederci tristezza, was initially nominated, only to be replaced after the mistake was noticed with Lasciare qualche scia from the film Nonostante. In the same category, La prostata enflamada by Luca Medici aka Checco Zalone from Buen Camino competes against Vaster Than Empires by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Queer. A film that already feels distant in time, considering that Luca Guadagnino has since premiered another film in Venice (After the Hunt) and is already preparing the next (Artificial), but at least the Davids managed to make up for the Oscars, where the film received no nominations.

Beyond that, other anomalies are not lacking, nothing unusual for the David di Donatello (for instance, in recent years marked by the film vs. TV series controversy), such as categories with more than five nominees, sometimes six. This mostly affects acting categories, often featuring the same names, making it hard not to root for outsiders compared to the mainstream nature of Italian cinema, such as Aurora Quattrocchi in Gioia Mia, the cast of Le città di pianura, and Milvia Marigliano, the outstanding art critic Coco Valori in La grazia. Whether or not Italian cinema will actually revolt remains to be seen on May 6, 2026, the day of the 71st David di Donatello ceremony.