Sal, a modern-day Western by Argentinean writer-director Diego Rougier, was named the grand prize winner at the inaugural First Time Fest, which concluded Monday night in New York with a closing-night awards ceremony held at the Players Club and hosted by Ellen Burstyn, The Hollywood Reporter said.
The award, presented by Anthony Rapp, brings with it an offer from Cinema Libre Studio for theatrical distribution and international sales representation.
At the ceremony, Martin Scorsese also presented the first John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to director Darren Aronofksy.
A celebration of first-time filmmakers co-founded by Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward, the four-day festival screened 12 new films from around the world and 11 retrospective screenings of films by such directors as Sofia Coppola, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Todd Solondz and Hal Hartley.
