Offbeat superhero movie They Call Me Jeeg, inspired by formulaic Hollywood franchises and 1970 Japanese cartoon series, was the winner at Italy’s 60th David di Donatello Awards Italian Oscars), scooping seven statuettes, including best debut director, producer, actress, actor, and supporting female and male thesps.
The best picture and screenplay went to Paolo Genovese’s high concept dramedy, Perfect Strangers, which is about a dangerous game played with cell phone.
Matteo Garrone won the best director nod for the English-language horror-fantasy Tale of Tales, which also won cinematography, costume design, production design, makeup and hair categories.
“I’m lucky that Jeeg was not eligible for best director,” Garrone quipped as soon as he got on stage. Since Jeeg is a first work, it was not eligible in the best director category, under David rules.
Jeeg is about a two-bit criminal loser who stumbles upon his powers and learns to care about humanity thanks to a traumatized woman who is convinced he’s the Japanese manga character Steel Jeeg. The sleeper hit has scored a strong roughly $4 million locally after eight weeks via Lucky Red, and is still on release.
The Davids were produced and aired by Murdoch-owned paybox Sky, rather than by pubcaster RAI, which has always handled the awards in the past. The ceremony was presented by local “X-Factor” host Alessandro Cattelan.
Meanwhile Italian box office is up 24% in the first quarter of 2016 with Italian films accounting for a whopping 46% of the local market, largely thanks to smash comic hit “Quo Vado.”
Recently deceased director Ettore Scola was remembered during the ceremony with a clip of his Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni-starrer “A Special Day,” and a tribute by young actor-director Pierfrancesco Diliberto, also known as PIF.
Vet star Gina Lollobrigida and the venerable the Taviani Brothers were honored with Special Davids earlier by Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and Culture Minister Dario Franceschini.
The David for best documentary went to Alex Infascelli’s “S is for Stanley,” about Emilio D’Alessandro, an Italian immigrant who went from being an unknown London taxi driver and aspiring Formula1 racer to Kubrick’s chauffeur and personal assistant.
Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” took the prize for foreign film outside the European Union, while the nod for EU pic went to this year’s foreign-Oscar winner “Son of Saul” from Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes.
The complete list of David Awards winners:
PICTURE
“Perfect Strangers,”
DIRECTOR
Matteo Garrone “Tale of Tales”
DEBUT DIRECTOR
Gabriele Mainetti, “They Call Me Jeeg”
SCREENPLAY
Filippo Bologna, Paolo Costella, Paolo Genovese, Paola Mammini, Rolando Ravello for “Perfect Strangers”
PRODUCER
Gabriele Mainetti for “The Call Me Jeeg”
ACTRESS
Ilenia Pastorelli, “They Call Me Jeeg”
ACTOR
Claudio Sanataria “They Call Me Jeeg”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Antonia Truppo “They Call Me Jeeg”
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Luca Marinelli, “They Call Me Jeeg”
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Peter Suschitzky “The Tale of Tales”
EDITING
Andrea Maguolo (with the assistance of Federico Conforti) “They Call Me Jeeg”
SCORE David Lang “Youth”
ORIGINAL SONG
“Simple Song #3” composed by David Lang, performed by Sumi Jo
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Dimitri Capuani, Alessia Anfuso “Tale of Tales”
COSTUME DESIGN
Massimo Cantini Parrini “Tale of Tales”
MAKEUP ARTIST
Gino Tamannini “Tale of Tales”
HAIR ARTIST
Francesco Pegoretti “Tale of Tales”
SOUND Angelo Bonanni, “Don’t Be Bad”
DIGITAL EFFECTS Makinarium, “Tale of Tales”
EUROPEAN UNION PICTURE
“Son of Saul,” Laszlo Nemes
FOREIGN FILM OUTSIDE THE E.U.
“Bridge of Spies” Steven Spielberg
SHORT
“Bellissima,” Alessandro Capitani
YOUTH DAVID
“The Correspondence,” Giuseppe Tornatore
