Casting actors for films is now worth an award in Italy. The National Union of Italian Film Journalists (SNGCI) who present the prestigious “Nastri d’Argento” (Silver Ribbons), decided to establish an award for the best Italian casting director. The price will be announced in Taormina for the first time on 28 June. The five nominees include Barbara Giordani (Blame Freud), a member of the International Casting Directors Network (ICDN), Francesca Borromeo, Gabriella Giannattasio, Pine Pellegrino and Anna Maria Sambucco, together with Maurilio Mangano. Founded in 2005, with the support of EFP as an association of trans-national working casting directors for feature films, the ICDN draws attention to the important work of casting directors. Germany has been offering a German casting award since 2008.

The Italian trade association of casting directors (UICD) had called for the launch of an award with the support of about 300 Italian directors and producers, amongst them Sergio Castellitto, Matteo Garrone and Alice Rohrwacher.

More on the mandate and the members of the ICDN