| David di Donatello for Best Director | |
|---|---|
The 2025 recipient:Maura Delpero | |
| Awarded for | Best director of an Italian film |
| Country | Italy |
| Presented by | Accademia del Cinema Italiano |
| First award | 1956 (for direction in films released during the1955/1956 film season) |
| Currently held by | Maura Delpero Vermiglio (2025) |
| Website | www |
TheDavid di Donatello for Best Director (Italian:David di Donatello per il miglior regista) is afilm award presented annually by theAccademia del Cinema Italiano (ACI,Academy of Italian Cinema) to recognize the outstanding direction of afilm director who has worked within theItalian film industry during the year preceding the ceremony.[1] The award was first given in 1956, and became competitive in 1981.[2]
Nominees and winners are selected viarunoff voting by all the members of the Accademia.[3][4]
Francesco Rosi is the record holder with six awards in the category, received from 1965 to 1997, followed byMarco Bellocchio,Mario Monicelli andGiuseppe Tornatore with four.
Maura Delpero became the first woman to win in 2025.
Below, winners are listed first in the colored row, followed by other nominees.[1]




















| Year | Director(s) | English Title | Original Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955/56 | Gianni Franciolini | Roman Tales | Racconti romani |
| 1956/57 | |||
| Federico Fellini | Nights of Cabiria | Le notti di Cabiria | |
| 1958/59 | |||
| Alberto Lattuada | Tempest | La tempesta |