Giulio Mastromauro Wins David di Donatello 2020 for Best Short Film

Giulio Mastromauro's short film 'Inverno' won the David di Donatello 2020 for Best Short Film. The film explores personal grief and family dynamics through the lens of a carnival family. Mastromauro describes the title as a metaphor for loss, stating 'the winter arrives and wears away.' The ceremony took place on May 8, 2020, broadcast live on Rai 1, hosted by Carlo Conti, without a red carpet or studio guests due to the pandemic. Mastromauro expressed surprise and gratitude that the Academy chose such a personal and intimate work. He emphasized the universality of the story, noting that audiences believed the actors were a real family. The director, born in 1983, drew on childhood memories and emotions, setting the narrative among circus performers to capture sincerity and humanity. He highlighted the contrast between joy and nostalgia in carnival life, aiming to counter prejudices against traveling showpeople. The film's protagonist, a child named Timo, reflects Mastromauro's view that children experience grief as deeply as adults but with fewer filters. The director plans to keep the award visible as a reminder during difficult times, calling filmmaking 'a profession of high euphoria and pathological lows.'