Marco Bellocchio's Hour Of Religion; scooped the best film prize at Italy's oldest awards, the Nastri d'Argento, which were held on Saturday night in the Sicilian coastal resort of Taormina.

The Italian auteur also received the award for best story, while the best actor prize went to the film's lead, Sergio Castellitto.

The best screenplay prize went to Cristina Comencini for her family drama, The Best Day Of My Life, while veteran actress Virna Lisi, who plays the role of the family matriarch in the film, picked up a joint best supporting actress prize, alongside her co-stars Margherita Buy and Sandra Ceccarelli.

Pedro Almodovar was awarded a special European Nastro D'Argento, which he received on the stage of the town's fully-packed 7,000-seat Greek amphitheatre, amid both rapturous applause from the audience and raucous hissing from animal activists, who were protesting against cruelty towards the bulls who appeared in the Spanish director's latest film, Habla Con Ella.

The full list of winners is:

Best film: Hour Of Religion, Marco Bellocchio
Best screenplay: Lucilla Schiaffino, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda,
The Best Day Of My Life
Best actor: Sergio Castellitto, Hour Of Religion
Best actress: Valeria Golino, Respiro - Grazia's Island
Best supporting actor: Leo Gullotta, Vajont
Best supporting actress: Virna Lisi, Sandra Ceccarelli, Margherita Buy, The Best Day Of My Life
Best story: Marco Bellocchio, Hour Of Religion
Best cinematography: Luca Bigazzi, Burning In The Wind
Best foreign director: Robert Altman, Gosford Park
Best editing: Francesca Calvelli, No Man's Land
Best sound: Maurizio Argentieri, Casomai and Hour Of Religion
Best costumes: Alessandro Lai, Alberto Moretti, Senso 45
Best set design: Andrea Crisanti, The Council Of Egypt
Best music: Edoardo Bennato, The Prince And The Pirate
Best song: Gianna Nannini, Momo
Best production: Fandango
Best debut director: Paolo Sorrentino, L'Uomo In Piu