05/02/2005 - This year, the Italian Film Critics Union distinguished Gianni Amelio and granted him the Nastro d'argento as best Italian film for Le chiavi di casa. Pedro Almodovar was granted the Nastro d'Argento as best foreign film.

This year, the Italian Film Critics Union distinguished Gianni Amelio and granted him the Nastro d'argento as best Italian film for Le chiavi di casa . The best actress is Laura Morante in L'amore è eterno finche dura while Toni Servillo got the award as best actor in Le conseguenze dell'amore (The Consequences of Love). The best young director is Saverio Costanzo for Private.
The award ceremony, punctuated by its presenter's (Sabrina Impacciatore) many blunders, also celebrated the British actor Malcolm McDowell, who received the European Nastro 2005 with great pleasure: 'This kind of prize is a great satisfaction for me, greater than popular awards such as the Golden globes which I consider to be mere popularity contests'. Pedro Almodovar, welcomed on stage by a warm round of applause, was granted the Nastro d'Argento as best foreign film with La mala educacion . 'We live in a world of pain and bleak prospects, says the Spanish director. The beauty of cinema is in the way it turns all the darkness into an entertaining show'. He adds, provocatingly referring to his being completely overlooked by the jury for this year's Goyas, 'I think you understand me much better here in Italy than they do in my own country!'

A few other controversial issues were raised: Luca Bigazzi, who won the Nastro d'Argento for the best picture, railed at the 36 million euros cutback in the Fund for visual arts, 'It reveals our politicians' contempt for people whose work is to entertain, and for culture in general'. This year's Best producer, Aurelio De Laurentis (FilmAuro), approved: 'policies have been ignoring us for forty years. We have to solve our problems on our own, unite and find new answers for the film industry'.

Complete list of prizes - Best film
Gianni Amelio with Le chiavi di casa

- Best actor in a leading role
Toni Servillo in Le conseguenze dell'amore

- Best actress in a leading role
Laura Morante in L'amore è eterno finché dura

- Best producer
Aurelio de Laurentiis for Che ne sarà di noi and Tutto in una notte

- Best young director
Saverio Costanzo with Private

- Best picture
Luca Bigazzi (Le chiavi di casa, Le conseguenze dell'amore, and Ovunque sei)

- Best takes
Alessandro Zanon (Le chiavi di casa and La vita che vorrei)

- Best script
Margaret Mazzantini and Sergio Castellitto (Non ti muovere)

- Art direction
Francesco Frigeri (La Passione di Cristo and Non ti muovere)

- Editing
Patrizio Marone (Non ti muovere)

- Best song
Vasco Rossi and Saverio Grandi (Un senso in Non ti muovere)

- Best music
Banda Osiris (Primo amore)

- Best topic
Paolo Sorrentino (Le conseguenze dell'amore)

- Best actor in a supporting role
Raffaele Pisu (Le conseguenze dell'amore)

- Best actress in a supporting role
Giovanna Mezzogiorno (L'amore ritorna)

- Costume
Maurizio Millenotti (La Passione di Cristo)

- Best film in foreign language
La mala educacion by Pedro Almodovar

- Special prize
Fiorello for dubbing the cartoonGarfield. and two 'voices', Cristina Boraschi and Francesco Pannofino

- Special Nastri d'argento for their whole carrier
Mario Monicelli and Suso Cecchi D'Amico

- European Nastro
Malcolm McDowell

(Translated from Italian)