Marco Bellocchio's Hour Of Religion, the story of an atheist painter who finds out his brothers want to beatify their dead mother, led the nominations for Italy's Nastri d'Argento, the country's oldest movie awards.

Nominations for Bellocchio's film, which is performing well at the local box office with a running total gross of Euros 1.9m, include: best Italian film, best story, best screenplay, best actor (Sergio Castellitto), best supporting actress (Piera degli Esposti), best supporting actor (Toni Bertorelli), and best cinematography.

Antonio Capuano's Luna Rossa, a visionary-style movie about a modern-day Neapolitan crime family, won six nominations, while Paz, a feature by Renato de Maria, based on the work of famous Italian cartoonist, Andrea Pazienza earned five nods, as did Alessandro D'Alatri's modern romantic comedy, Casomai.

Winners of the awards, which are voted by Italy's national critics union, will be announced at the Taormina Film Festival on July 6th.

Full list of nominees:

Best Italian Film
Marco Bellocchio, Hour Of Religion
Antonio Capuano, Luna Rossa
Cristina Comencini, The Best Day Of My Life
Giuseppe Piccioni, Light Of My Eyes
Silvio Soldini, Burning In The Wind

Best Emerging Director
Franco Angeli, La rentree
Vincenzo Marra, Sailing Home
Marco Ponti, Santa Maradona
Andrea Porporati, Sole negli occhi
Paolo Sorrentino, L'uomo in più

Best Producer
Gianluca Arcopinto-Andrea Occhipinti- Amedeo Pagani, Incantesimo napoletano
Andrea De Liberato, Luna Rossa
Albachiara for the year's best productions
Cattleya for the year's best productions
Fandango for the year's best productions

Best Story
Marco Bechis, Figli- Hijos
Marco Bellocchio, Hour Of Religion
Antonietta De Lillo, Non è giusto
Gabriele Salvatores and Andrea Garello, Amnèsia
Laura Sabatino, Ribelli per caso

Best Screenplay
Marco Bellocchio Hour Of Religion
Cristina Comencini, Lucilla Schiaffino, Giulia Calenda, The Best Day Of My Life
Enzo D'Alò-Umberto Marino, Momo
Paolo Sorrentino, L'uomo in più
Emanuele Crialese, Respiro - Grazia's Island

Best Actress
Sonia Bergamasco, L'amore Probabilmente
Carolina Felline, Biuti quin Olivia
Valeria Golino, Respiro - Grazia's Island
Licia Maglietta, Luna Rossa
Stefania Rocca, Casomai

Best Actor
Sergio Castellitto, Hour Of Religion
Antonio Catania, Ribelli per caso
Fabrizio Gifuni, Sole negli occhi
Toni Servillo and Andrea Renzi, L'uomo in più
Francesco Salvi, La rentree

Best Supporting Actress
Rosalinda Celentano, Paz!
Paola Cortellesi, Se fossi in te
Piera Degli Esposti, Hour Of Religion
Iaia Forte, Three Wives
Margherita Buy, Virna Lisi and Sandra Ceccarelli, The Best Day Of My Life

Best Supporting Actor
Toni Bertorelli, Hour Of Religion
Gianni Cavina, Sole negli occhi
Libero De Rienzo, Santa Maradona
Leo Gullotta, Vajont
Claudio Santamaria, Paz!

Best Music
Ezio Bosso, Ribelli Per Caso
Edoardo Bennato, The Prince And The Pirate
Luciano Ligabue, Da Zero A Dieci
Lele Marchitelli, Alla rivoluzione sulla 2cv
Pivio e Aldo De Scalzi, Casomai

Best Cinematography
Luca Bigazzi, Burning In The Wind
Arnaldo Catinari, Light Of My Eyes and Alla rivoluzione sulla 2cv
Fabio Cianchetti, L'amore Probabilmente and Figli- Hijos
Blasco Giurato, Vajont
Pasquale Mari, Hour Of Religion

Best Sound
Maurizio Argentieri, Casomai and Hour Of Religion
Bruno Pupparo, The Best Day Of My Life
Alessandro Rolla, Paz!
Marco Tidu, Santa Maradona
Remo Ugolinelli, Light Of My Eyes

Best Set design
Giancarlo Basili, Paz!
Andrea Crisanti, Council Of Egypt
Marco Dentici, Hour Of Religion
Paolo Petti, Luna Rossa
Gianni Silvestri, Winter

Best Costumes
Alessandro Lai and Alberto Moretti, Senso '45
Silvia Nebiolo, Burning In The Wind
Metella Raboni, Luna Rossa and Three Wives
Nicoletta Taranta, Quartetto and The Dervish
Valentina Taviani and Francesca Cascello, Paz!

Best Editor
Osvaldo Bargero, Casomai
Francesca Calvelli, No Man's Land
Massimo Fiocchi, Amnèsia
Giogiò Franchini, Luna rossa and L'uomo in più
Angelo Nicolini, Da Zero A Dieci

Best Song
Edoardo Bennato, The Prince And The Pirate
Elisa, Casomai
Luciano Ligabue, Da Zero A Dieci
Gianna Nannini, Momo
Moni Ovadia, Iris

Best Foreign director
Robert Altman, Gosford Park
Ray Lawrence, Lantana
David Lynch, Mulholland Drive
Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge
Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Kandahar