Cinecittà Chief on Symbolic Significance of Holding the Davids at Italy’s City of Cinema

Variety Interview with Cinecittà CEO Nicola Maccanico

Why is it so important to have the Davids at Cinecittà?
They are being held here exactly a year after the studio’s renewal and new phase started. It’s also a time when Cinecittà is now celebrating being fully booked through most of 2023. So there are symbolic elements of various types: the Italian film community is back together in person at Cinecittà at a time when, after a year on the job, we’ve managed to fill up the studios. And we must continue to make sure that, just as the studio’s renewal takes place, we continue to maintain full occupancy.

How are you going to show off Cinecittà to TV viewers in the Davids ceremony?
We will use the Ancient Rome set for arrivals, and then roll out a very long red carpet that will join the set with the studio where RAI is holding the live ceremony. I really want to thank [Italian Film Academy head] Piera Detassis and RAI general manager Carlo Fuortes because they’ve understood how important is it right now to join forces. The Davids, RAI and Cinecittà in different ways represent the Italian government’s push to support and elevate the Italian industry and we are celebrating this together.

As an Italian film industry expert what do this year’s David nominees say about the state of Italian cinema?
Well, you have great auteurs like Paolo Sorrentino with a film [“The Hand of God”] that has conquered the world. Then you have younger directors like Gabriele Mainetti with his ambitious big-budget spectacle “Freaks Out” and also pure genre movies like “Diabolik.” What emerges from this year’s nominations is that there is a greater variety of genres on display alongside works by the big auteurs. This makes Italian cinema more competitive.