The nominations for the 68th David di Donatello ceremony – the equivalent of the Caesars in Italy – which will take place on May 10 in Rome, were announced on Thursday March 30. Marco Bellocchio's miniseries Esterno notte, which was theatrically released in Italy, easily topped the selection with 18 nominations. Produced for Rai by The Apartment (Fremantle group) with Kavac Film, in co-production with Arte France and in collaboration with Rai Fiction, the series was presented in preview at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.
In the queen category for best film, Esterno notte is in the running against Il signore delle formiche by Gianni Amelio (11 nominations), La stranezza by Roberto Andò (13 nominations), Le otto montagne by Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch (13 nominations).) and Nostalgia by Mario Martone (9 nominations). All were also shortlisted in the Best Direction category.