Ermanno Olmi's 16th century war picture The Profession Of Arms, Silvio Soldini's tortured drama Burning In The Wind and Giuseppe Piccioni's film about urban misfits, Light of My Eyes led the nominations for the 2002 David di Donatello Awards, Italy's Oscar equivalents.

Veteran auteur Olmi's picture, which scored well with local audiences last year and screened in competition at Cannes, led the race with nine nominations, including best film, best director, best screenplay, best producer, best cinematography and best editor.

Soldini's Burning In The Wind, a sombre tale in Czech and French about an East European immigrant who becomes obsessed with a fellow factory worker, and Piccioni's Light Of My Eyes, which charts the relationship between two urban misfits played by Luigi Lo Cascio and Sandra Ceccarelli, both scooped eight nominations, including best film, best director, best cinematographer.

A Best Actor nomination was received by international favourite Giancarlo Giannini for his impressive transformation into a man who suffers from Downs-syndrome in Ti Voglio Bene Eugenio; other actors receiving a nod were Luigi Lo Cascio (Light Of My Eyes) and Toni Servillo for emerging director Paolo Sorrentino's L'Uomo In Piu.

Best Actress nominees were Sandra Ceccarelli (Light Of My Eyes), Marina Confalone, the lead in local comedy Incantesimo Napoletano, and Licia Maglietta in Venice picture Luna Rossa.

Mediterraneo Oscar-winning director Gabriele Salvatores 's new movie Amnesia scored only one nomination, for best editor.

The Awards will be announced on April 10th.

List of nominations:

Best Film
Burning In The Wind
Light Of My Eyes
The Profession Of Arms

Best Director
Silvio Soldini (Burning In The Wind)
Giuseppe Piccioni (Light Of My Eyes)
Ermanno Olmi (The Profession Of Arms)

Best emerging Director
Vincenzo Marra (Sailing Home)
Marco Ponti (Santa Maradona)
Paolo Sorrentino (L'Uomo In Piu)

Best Screenplay
Doriana Leondeff (Burning In The Wind)
Ermanno Olmi (The Profession Of Arms)
Paolo Sorrentino (L'Uomo In Piu)

Best Producer
Lionello Cerri, Luigi Musini, Rai Cinema and Vega Film (Burning In The Wind)
Luigi Musini, Roberto Cicutto, Ermanno Olmi, Rai Cinema, StudioCanal, Taurusproduktion (The Profession Of Arms)
Roberto Buttafarro, Mikado, Rai Cinema (Santa Maradona)

Best Actress
Sandra Ceccarelli (Light of My Eyes)
Marina Confalone (Incantesimo Napoletano)
Licia Maglietta (Luna Rossa)

Best Actor
Giancarlo Giannini (Ti Voglio Bene Eugenio)
Luigi Lo Cascio (Light Of My Eyes)
Tony Servillo (L'Uomo In Piu)

Best supporting actress
Rosalinda Celentano (Probably Love)
Iaia Forte (Paz!)
Stefania Sandrelli (Figli)

Best supporting actor
Libero De Rienzo (Santa Maradona)
Leo Gullotta (Vajont)
Silvio Orlando (Light Of My Eyes)

Best cinematographer
Luca Bigazzi (Burning In The Wind)
Fabio Olmi (The Profession Of Arms)
Arnaldo Catinari (Light Of My Eyes)

Best music
Luciano Ligabue (Da Zero A Dieci)
Fabio Vacchi (The Profession Of Arms)
Giovanni Venosta (Burning In The Wind)

Best editor
Paolo Cottignola (The Profession Of Arms)
Carlotta Cristiani (Burning In The Wind)
Massimo Fiocchi (Amnesia)

Best foreign picture
Amelie, Jean Pierre Jeunet
No Man's Land, Danis Tanovic
The Man Who Wasn't There, Joel Coen