Salvo won the top prize at the 52nd Critics' Week which means the €10,000 Nespresso Grand Prize went to Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza. The France 4 Visionary Award, worth €4,000, also went to them.
Set in modern Sicily, Salvo is about a romantic relationship between a hitman and the sister of someone he's murdered. The movie has received solid reviews and unexpectedly grabbed two awards.
“Many people in Italy have tried to keep their eyes closed, but this loud voice coming from the Critics' Week is forcing them to open their eyes,” said Piazza on the stage.
Other major winners included Come and Play (best short) and Le Demantlement (best screenplay).
The Discovery prize for short film, which gives €8,000 towards the winner's first feature, was awarded to Come and Play by Daria Belova.
The Society of Authors, Directors and Composers Award for best screenplay and its €4,000 prize was given to Le Demantlement by Sebastien Pilote.
