[1] Named after the historic osella—a commemorative medal given by the Doges of Venice to notable members of the Venetian Republic—the Golden Osella honors exceptional achievements in cinema, covering a spectrum of creative and technical contributions.

It is inspired by the osella tradition dating back to the 15th century in the Venetian Republic, where the Doge would distribute these silver medallions to members of the Maggior Consiglio or other distinguished citizens.

Each medallion bore unique engravings, often featuring the Doge's likeness or scenes from Venetian life, symbolizing the recipient's esteemed place in the city.

[3] As of 2012, Sooni Taraporevala, Cuca Canals, Paz Alicia Garciadiego, and Anne Fontaine are the only female screenwriters to have won the award for their respective works on Mississippi Masala, The Tit and the Moon, Dry Cleaning, and Deep Crimson.

Additionally, Nana Cecchi, Dominique Auvray, Mónica Chirinos, Marisa Pecanins, and Sylvie Olivé have been honored for their outstanding technical contributions, specifically in The Gold Rimmed Glasses, No Fear, No Die, Deep Crimson and Mr. Nobody.