Italy's 2000 David di Donatello Awards look set to be a two-horse race as Silvio Soldini's Pane E Tulipani and Ricky Tognazzi's Canone Inverso both scooped nine nominations apiece, including best film, best screenplay and best director.

Marco Bechis' Garage Olimpo was also nominated in the three categories, and also picked up nods for best producer and best editing.

Nominations for best foreign film are Sam Mendes' American Beauty, Damien O'Donnell's East Is East and Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother.

The awards, Italy's top film honours, will be presented April 19 in a ceremony broadcast live on RAI1.

The full list of nominations is:

Best Film
Canone Inverso - Ricky Tognazzi
Garage Olimpo - Marco Bechis
Pane E Tulipani - Silvio Soldini

Best Director
Marco Bechis - Garage Olimpo
Silvio Soldini - Pane E Tulipiani
Ricky Tognazzi - Canone Inverso

Best Directing Debut
Andrea e Antonio Frazzi - Il Cielo Cade
Piergiorgio Gay and Roberto San Pietro - Tre Storie
Alessandro Piva - Lacapagira

Best Screenplay
Marco Bechis and Lara Fremder - Garage Olimpo
Graziano Diana, Simona Izzo and Ricky Tognazzi - Canone Inverso
Doriana Leondeff and Silvio Soldini - Pane E Tulipani

Best Producer
Vittorio Cecchi Gori - Canone Inverso
Amedeo Pagani - Garage Olimpo
Domenico Procacci - Come Te Nessuno Mai

Best Actress
Lorenza Indovina - Un Amore
Licia Maglietta - Pane E Tulipani
Francesca Neri - Il Dolce Rumore Della Vita
Francesca Neri - Io Amo Andrea
Isabella Rossellini - Il Cielo Cade

Best Actor
Stefano Accorsi - Ormai E Fatta!
Bruno Ganz - Pane E Tulipani
Fabrizio Gifuni - Un Amore
Carlo Verdone - C'era Un Cinese In Coma

Best Supporting Actress
Rosalinda Cementano - Il Dolce Rumore Della Vita
Anna Galiena - Come Te Nessuno Mai
Marina Massironi - Pane E Tulipani

Best Supporting Actor
Giuseppe Battiston - Pane E Tulipani
Leo Gullotta - Un Uomo Perbene
Emilio Solfrizzi - Ormai E Fatta

Best Director of Photography
Luca Bigazzi - Pane E Tulipani
Fabio Cianchetti - Canone Inverso
Giuseppe Lanci - La Balia

Best Score
Paolo Buonvino - Come Te Nessuno Mai
Pivio and Aldo De Scalzi - Ormai E Fatta!
Ennio Morricone - Canone Inverso

Best Art Director
Francesco Bronzi - Canone Inverso
Marco Dentici - La Balia
Antonello Geleng and Marina Pinzati - Amor Nello Specchio

Best Costumes
Sergio Ballo - La Balia
Alfonsina Lettieri - Canone Inverso
Lucia Mirisola - La Carbonara

Best Editing
Carla Simoncelli - Canone Inverso
Jacopo Quadri - Garage Olimpo
Cecilia Zanuso - Ormai E Fatta!

Best Sound
Maurizio Argentieri - Pane E Tulipani
Tullio Moranti - Il Dolce Rumore Della Vita
Bruno Pupparo - Come Te Nessuno Mai

Best Foreign Film
American Beauty - Sam Mendes
East Is East - Damien O'Donnell
All About My Mother - Pedro Almodovar